On War Crimes

George Bisharat, writing in the Wall Street Journal, makes some noises about Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

A question to those out there that are supporters of international justice: do you think that prosecuting Israeli soldiers, generals and/or politicians will bring us any closer to a long-lasting peaceful solution for the region? I would argue that in fact any such prosecutions will only further poison the atmosphere. As I wrote a few days ago, the main lesson of Nuremberg is not that evil is best punished through international justice, but that international justice is the best way to punish the loser in a war, kind of like the final thrust with a wooden stake through the heart of a badly beaten, prone and defenseless vampire.