Military Ethics in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Scene: WALTZ WITH BASHIR In the film WALTZ WITH BASHIR, there is a scene in which the Israeli soldiers are ordered to fire on a group of unarmed Palestinian civilians, including women and children, who are fleeing a refugee camp. The soldiers are hesitant to follow orders at first, but they eventually do so, killing and wounding many of the civilians. Ethical Challenge: The ethical challenge in this scene is whether or not the soldiers should follow orders to kill unarmed civilians. On the one hand, the soldiers have a duty to obey their orders and to defend their country. On the other hand, they also have a moral obligation to protect innocent life. Why the Characters Acted as They Did: There are a number of psychological, social, and institutional factors that may have influenced the soldiers' decision to follow orders in this scene.

• Psychological factors: The soldiers were under a great deal of stress and pressure. They were in a war zone and they were facing the threat of death from the enemy. In such situations, it can be difficult to think clearly and to make sound moral judgments.
• Social factors: The soldiers were also influenced by their social environment. They were surrounded by other soldiers who were following orders, and they may have felt pressure to conform.
• Institutional factors: The soldiers were also influenced by the institutional culture of the Israeli military. The Israeli military is a highly disciplined organization with a strong emphasis on obedience to orders.

Personal Understanding of the Situation: I can understand why the soldiers in this scene felt conflicted about following orders to kill unarmed civilians. They were under a great deal of stress and pressure, and they were facing the threat of death from the enemy. They were also influenced by their social environment and the institutional culture of the Israeli military. However, I believe that the soldiers ultimately made the wrong decision by following orders. They had a moral obligation to protect innocent life, even if it meant disobeying their orders. Support from the Literature: The literature on military ethics suggests that soldiers have a moral obligation to disobey orders that violate their conscience or that require them to commit war crimes. For example, the Nuremberg Code, which was developed in response to the Nazi war crimes trials, states that "the doctor shall be the final judge as to the therapeutic value of any medical procedure" and that "consent of the human subject is absolutely essential." This means that doctors have a moral obligation to refuse to participate in medical experiments or other procedures that they believe are unethical, even if they are ordered to do so by their superiors. The same principle applies to soldiers. Soldiers have a moral obligation to refuse to follow orders that they believe are unethical, even if it means disobeying their superiors. Conclusion: The scene in WALTZ WITH BASHIR in which the Israeli soldiers are ordered to fire on unarmed Palestinian civilians illustrates the ethical challenges that soldiers face in war. Soldiers have a duty to obey orders and to defend their country, but they also have a moral obligation to protect innocent life. In this scene, the soldiers chose to follow orders, even though they knew that it was wrong. This was likely due to a number of factors, including psychological stress, social pressure, and the institutional culture of the Israeli military. However, I believe that the soldiers ultimately made the wrong decision. They had a moral obligation to disobey orders and to protect the innocent civilians.  

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