Critics of Israel often focus on condemning Israel’s actions yet may not fully consider how their stance can unintentionally help contribute to a narrative that overlooks the violent tactics of some groups. This raises the issue of a continuous harmful double standard that has been prevalent throughout their conflicts with Israel — scrutinizing the Israeli Defense Forces’ efforts to create peace in the region while staying silent about those committed by recognized terrorist organizations who aim to harm civilians.
Recently, Pipe Dream Opinions published an article titled “Israeli terrorism in Lebanon must be condemned,” after Israel carried out a precise operation that only aimed to harm Hezbollah, which is recognized, notably, by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization, either in part or in its entirety. It is deeply concerning that after the countless efforts the IDF has made to minimize harm to civilians, they are so harshly and unfairly criticized.
Israel has consistently demonstrated its commitment to minimizing civilian casualties, both in Gaza and Lebanon. The IDF employs a wide range of tactics designed to warn civilians of impending strikes, including dropping pamphlets encouraging evacuation and using “roof-knocking” — a technique involving small munitions to alert residents of impending danger. The IDF has even released a video that showed planned airstrikes being aborted when a civilian presence was identified. Despite these precautions, Israel faces significant criticism for its military operations, raising questions about the double standards applied in this conflict.
The recent operation in Lebanon targeted Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, as designated by over 60 countries and organizations, that has launched over 8,000 rockets into Israel. According to Israeli and U.S. officials, a Hezbollah attack in late July resulted in countless civilian casualties, including the tragic deaths of 10 Druze children — alongside two others with unidentified ages — on a soccer field. The recent article in Pipe Dream argues that the operation by the IDF “disregard[ed] civilian life,” but this claim could not be further from the truth and overlooks a critical fact — the pagers were precisely distributed to terrorists. Unfortunately, civilians were unintentionally harmed, but that is due to Hezbollah’s strategy which involves embedding themselves within civilian populations, essentially using innocent lives as human shields. This technique endangers civilians far more than the IDF’s calculated operations.
In stark contrast, Hezbollah has consistently shown a blatant disregard for civilian life and morality at large. Since its beginnings during the Lebanese Civil War, the group has deliberately targeted innocent civilians. While a group called Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for attacks like the suicide bombings of the U.S. embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Marine barracks in 1983, their connections to Hezbollah raise serious concerns about the latter’s role in terrorism. This has led countries like the United States to view Hezbollah as complicit in these acts of violence, reinforcing their reputation as a significant threat. Officially designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 1997, Hezbollah’s actions reflect a pattern of hostility that jeopardizes regional stability and directly threatens many countries, including the United States. This leads to one of the most unfathomable aspects of this conflict, namely the support some individuals extend to groups like Hezbollah, who would not hesitate to threaten them if given the opportunity.
Additionally, the article in Pipe Dream failed to acknowledge Israel’s humanitarian response to regional crises, including its aid to Gaza during times of need. Despite the ongoing war, Israel has extended humanitarian aid to civilians. Israeli organizations and the government have provided medical aid, food and supplies. Israel’s efforts to protect civilian life stand in stark contrast to the methods employed by Hezbollah and similar organizations, such as Hamas.
The article “Israeli terrorism in Lebanon must be condemned” was just one example of the significant double standard and a troubling tendency to support groups that do not prioritize civilian safety. While the IDF makes efforts to protect innocent lives, groups like Hezbollah engage in tactics that directly endanger those same lives. It is essential we recognize Israel’s efforts to reduce casualties, target terror and defend their country.
Rebecca Szlechter is a junior majoring in psychology.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.