Israel has the lowest proportion of civilians killed in war compared to soldiers; is it time for a change?

By Walter E. Block

The average figures regarding this phenomenon are that, apart from the IDF, for every combatant killed in wars, nine civilians meet their maker. That is a one to nine ratio. What of the IDF in Gaza? Here, the ratio is much lower: 1:1.5. That is to say, for every two Hamas terrorists dispatched, only three civilians are slain, not eighteen.

And the ratio would be even lower, far lower, if the IDF did not have to fight building by building, street by street. It would be reduced even the more if Hamas did not commandeer women and children Gazans to be used as shields. They did so by placing rocket, missile, drone launchers in the midst of hospitals, Mosques, schools, residential areas. It would be further decreased if Hamas did not steal the food sent into this unhappy corner of the word by Israel.

Does Israel get credit for the deaths of so few civilians, relatively speaking? To ask this is to answer it, of course not. But a bit of evidence on this matter may not be amiss in this context.

Consider the following:

“Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, The human rights group cited evidence it gathered from Gaza, saying Israeli forces were deliberately trying to ‘destroy Palestinians.’”

According to Oxfam: “More women and children killed in Gaza by Israeli military than any other recent conflict in a single year. Israeli explosive weapons hit civilian infrastructure in Gaza – including schools, hospitals and aid distribution points – once every three hours.”

We can always rely on the ever reliable Al Jazeera to make a similar point: “Plight of Gaza civilians ‘unbearable’ as Israel kills over 50 in a day. UN chief Antonio Guterres says the levels of death and injury in north Gaza are ‘harrowing’ and calls plight of Palestinians ‘unbearable’.”

Complains the Associated Press: “More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the territory’s Health Ministry says.”

What do these people want? Do they want Israel to react against Hamas, located in Gaza, not at all? Do not they realize that if the IDF pursues the terrorist fighters, civilians, too, will perish? Do they not understand that the Israeli military is extremely protective of civilian lives, compared to all other armies? One can only conclude that their not so very hidden agenda is the suicide of the entire Jewish State.

But let it not be said that I never blame Israel for anything. In the past, I have faulted this, the only civilized country in the Middle East, for too much allowing the socialist vestiges of the past to too heavily impact its modern economy. Israel now needs more free enterprise. Today, I venture to criticize this country in an entirely different way.

It is too protective of civilian Gazan lives; it ought to increase its ratio of civilians to combatants a bit. Alright, not to 1:9, the world’s average, but 2:3 is too low. Maybe something like 1:5 would be better?

Now, I admit, in rereading the previous paragraph, it sounds horrible, even to me. Why should I even contemplate, let alone support, such a despicable thought? Do not all civilized people want to reduce civilian casualties as much as possible? Of course we do.

This thought of mine is predicated upon the assumption that all actions have a cost. All of human action has an alternative or opportunity cost, as says the entire economics profession. What, then, pray tell, is the cost of such a low proportion? I posit, arguendo, that this bill comes due in the form of IDF soldiers killed. Members of the Israeli military preserve civilian Gazan lives at the cost of its own. I refuse to look up the statistics of the number of IDF military who have so far lost their lives fighting Hamas. Every time I do, I get sick to my stomach, with the knowledge that they are perishing in great numbers. They are doing so, in part, I maintain for the sake of argument, due to the care they take to preserve civilian lives in Gaza. If true, Israel ought to reconsider its policy.

From a pragmatic or utilitarian point of view, the IDF gets no credit, no credit at all, from world opinion (see above for the tip of the iceberg in this regard) for the care with which it takes to save the lives of Gazan women and children. From a deontological perspective, it is not clear, not at all clear, that Israel should sacrifice its own soldiers to the degree it does, for this goal.

I do not say Israel should move to a 1:9 ratio. That would be barbaric. Jews are better than that. But this country should seriously consider saving some more IDF lives, and increasing this ratio from its present 2:3 proportion.