The Dahiya Doctrine: How is Israel using this strategy in its war on Lebanon?

Last edited Wed Oct 9, 2024, 01:28 AM - Edit history (1)

This is the title to an article dated 10/08/24 in the New Arab. It explains the Israeli Military Doctrine for using the tactic of disproportionate attacks on civilian populations and destruction of civilian infrastructure in order to bring a civilian population to turn against the militant groups among them. The article does a good basic job of explaining the doctrine and how it came to be.

This is an important matter to discuss since it would clearly appear that there is a repeated pattern of the IDF and Netanyahu claiming that operations will be "limited" and that civilians are being "protected" and then the result is very different. We see this in Gaza and now Netanyahu has issued a message to the Lebanese people that he will do to Lebanon what he has done to Gaza.

Disproportionate attack, destroying civilian infrastructure etc. are all called as being against international law but the Dahiya Doctrine and the embrace and use of it is basically a declaration that defies those calls. It appears that along with targeted assassinations in countries around the world, which arguably violate sovereignty, the far right government and Netanyahu are saying to the world that the foreign and military policy will be "We will do whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want and to any degree of severity we want without restraint or accountability to treaties or international law."

Let's be clear that we keep hearing, as a defense against criticism, that Israel has a right to defend itself. But that strikes at the straw man. The vast majority of countries and people around the world have never said they don't have the right. What they have said is that the right to defend yourself does not give blanket permission for any and all conduct. But Dahiya Doctrine pushes aside any prohibitions.

Dahiya Doctrine has been pointed out as self defeating since it literally forms the reason for groups to form to counter what the application of the Doctrine has done. The insanity of "destroying the village to save it" redux more or less. But the madness is likely to continue since nobody seems capable of stopping Netanyahu applying the Dahiya Doctrine because attempts to do so are met with accusations by some around the world of anti-Semitism and of being against Israel defending itself.

Let's also be clear that the conduct of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Houthis, Saudis and the UAE, Syria and other nations and actors now and in the past have also been outside the international laws and the world body at the UN has been less than effective most times in doing anything about it. But it points out that we must condemn all conduct that goes against international law. No matter the country including our own. If we do not then the hypocrisy of defending such conduct gives us a total lack of moral ground on which to claim a right to stand.

But many in the world see all of this as perfectly acceptable. OK. But at least knock off the BS pretense of saying "limited" or claiming some moral ground or virtue. Nobody believes it anymore after all these years and it just makes claims of wanting peace look more disingenuous. That goes for all parties involved.

https://www.newarab.com/news/how-israel-using-dahiya-doctrine-its-war-lebanon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahiya_doctrine

"Netanyahu warns Lebanon of 'destruction like Gaza" BBC headline 10/08/24 linked below

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-military-expands-invasion-south-173917925.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall