Israel Does Not Have A Right to Defend Itself
Against Iran, Palestine, or anyone else it attacks.
“Israel has the right to defend itself” - President Joe Biden, October 23rd, 2023
“Israel has the right to defend itself” - President George W. Bush, June 10th, 2002
"We favor the revision of the arms embargo to accord to the State of Israel the right of self-defense.” - President Harry Truman, October 24th, 1948
In 1977, a study from Villanova and Temple Universities coined the “illusory truth effect.” According to the researchers, constant repetition of a lie will convince people it’s true. The illusory truth effect is present in all aspects of life, but its most pernicious implementation is in politics. In the early 2000s, the media and government bombarded Americans with the lie that Saddam Hussein enabled 9/11 and possessed weapons of mass destruction to build support for the Iraq War. Neither of these accusations were plausible, but with every media outlet from The New York Times to Oprah Winfrey repeating them, the American public eventually came to believe them and supported the invasion.
For as long as I can remember, the orchestrated deceit to justify the Iraq War has been the most destructive use of the illusory truth effect. However, I fear this accolade could soon be overtaken.
Whenever Israel is in the news, usually after an outburst of violence in the occupied territories, American politicians parrot: “Israel has a right to defend itself.” After a near-century of ad nauseam repetition, this phrase has been ingrained in the American psyche, which is understandable given what we’re told about Israel. For many Americans, this curt phrase gives them a digestible understanding of Israel and its geopolitical standing. While many Americans will admit Israel mistreats Palestinians, they still view it as a scrappy, Jewish underdog perpetually besieged by fanatical Muslim caliphates and paramilitaries. With this view, it’s no wonder they accept the idea that Israel has a right to “defend itself” against “unprovoked threats.” But, much like many of the other rose-tinted assumptions Americans hold about Israel, the “self-defense” framing is fraudulent — a gross misrepresentation repeated again and again to turn lies into truth and genocide into “self-defense.”
The George Zimmerman Defense
In 2013, George Zimmerman pursued and attacked a Black child teen Trayvon Martin. When Martin fought back, Zimmerman shot him and claimed he was “defending himself,” a ridiculous assertion given he was the provoking party. This is the same tactic Israel uses to excuse its aggression. For example, the above quote from former President George W. Bush stating “Israel has a right to defend itself” came during the 2002 Israeli siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s home in Ramallah. Located in the West Bank, Ramallah has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967. Israel has no right to “defend itself” inside territories it is illegally controlling. Similarly, Biden’s identical statement came at the onset of Israel’s assault on Gaza, an attempt to maintain that Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign was a form of “self-defense.”
In both these scenarios (and the hundreds like them) Israel does not have a right to defend itself. Self-defense is a right of all nations, as stated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. However, much like personal self-defense, a nation cannot claim to be “defending itself” if it is the aggressor. According to the United Nations, Israel has been illegally occupying the West Bank and Gaza since the 1967 Six-Day War. The U.N. has also stated all people (that includes Palestinians), have a right to resist occupying powers by “any means necessary,” including armed struggle.
(The UN General Assembly) Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle — UN General Assembly Resolution 45/130
To recap, the United Nations has repeatedly affirmed two principles in regard to the Occupied Territories:
1. Occupied people (Palestinians) have a right to fight their occupiers, and
2. Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank and Gaza.
That means attacks on Israel originating from the occupied Palestinian Territories are legitimate forms of Palestinian self-defense. Therefore, Israel has no right to claim “self-defense” in a confrontation it started, just as a burglar has no right to claim self-defense when the homeowner wakes up and fights back. This was recently stated by the United Nation’s Palestine special rapporteur.
“Israel does not claim it has been threatened by another state. It has been threatened by an armed group within an occupied territory. It cannot claim the right of self-defense against a threat that emanates from a territory it occupies. — Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Even if Palestinian fighters violate the laws of war, as Al-Jazeera documented they did on October 7th, that does not erase the fact this conflict stems from Israel’s illegal occupation, nor does it delegitimize Palestine’s right to self-defense. In fact, such allegations are another reason Israel should retreat from the Palestinian territories, so alleged war crimes can be addressed as part of a peace process, as was done in the Good Friday Agreement that quelled sectarian violence in British-occupied Ireland. Of course, Israel will not do this, as the preservation of civilian life is far from its top priority.
Enter Iran
American politicians are so accustomed to playing “Israel has a right to defend itself” as a Get Out of Jail Free Card that they’ve already started using it to address the current fighting between Israel and Iran. While Israel’s “self-defense” case against Palestinian fighters has always been flimsy, it’s outright laughable when applied to the Israel-Iran conflict. On April 1st, Israel bombed the Iranian consulate building in Syria, claiming occupants were planning an attack. That’s a dubious claim, but even if it’s true, preemptive strikes are illegal. Over the weekend, Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel, stating it had the right to do so under Article 51 and that it considered the matter “resolved.”
I have no love for the Iranian theocracy (as a socialist, I despise religious-based governments), but my principles aren’t limited to those I favor. I’m no lawyer, but Iran’s case that enacted the right of legitimate defense appears solid — Israel bombed their embassy and they struck back.
When asked if the United States would support Israel if it decided to re-strike Iran, National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said the U.S. was “ironclad in helping Israel defend itself.” In no way, shape, or form would an American'/Israeli assault on Iran constitute Israel “defending itself.” Even if you don’t think Iran’s claim to self-defense is justified, no Israelis were killed in the attack and there’s no indication of a subsequent barrage, making Kirby’s self-defense claims fruitless. Should the U.S.-Israel alliance restart the conflict, that would be a further escalation, no doubt justified by American leaders under “Israel’s right to defend itself.” But just like when Israel claims “self-defense” as it occupies Palestine, restating falsities doesn’t actually make them true. Further Israeli strikes on Iran or Palestine would constitute aggression, and aggressors do not have the right to self-defense, no matter how many times they claim otherwise.
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This is bullshit of the purest ray serene—and it’s also beside the point. What counts is not the right to defend one’s self but the ability to do so. The founders of Israel grasped this distinction, which is a core principle of Zionism. One could say, indeed, that antisemites contributed to the foundation of Israel by reminding the Jews that on the bottom line, they can rely on no one but themselves.
Great article. Thank you Joe!
The majority of us are occupying what is now called the United States and Canada, also Northern Ireland and Scotland, etc. Interesting and important to really think about.