Ethics as a Weapon of War

What role does ethics play in modern-day warfare? Is it possible for ethics and militarism to exist hand-in-hand? James Eastwood examines the Israeli military and its claim to be 'the most moral army in the world'. This claim has been strongly contested by human rights bodies and international institutions in their analysis of recent military engagements in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon. Yet at the same time, many in Israel believe this claim, including the general public, military personnel and politicians. Compiled from extensive research including interviews with soldiers, Eastwood unpacks the ethical pedagogy of the Israeli military, as well as soldier-led activism which voices a moral critique, and argues that the belief in moral warfare doesn't exist separately from the growing violence of Israel's occupation. This book is ideal for those interested in military ethics and Israeli politics, and provides crucial in-depth analysis for students and researchers alike.

• Develops a new theory on the relationship between ethics, war and militarism, for researchers interested in contemporary critical approaches to the ethics of war.
• Uses rich empirical material from original fieldwork to engage critically with debates of morality within Israeli military engagement, for those interested in topical issues surrounding Israel/Palestine.
• Challenges commonly-held ideas about the usefulness of political strategies based on the moral critique of war and occupation, provoking a response from readers through counter-intuitive argument.