Israel and Iran follow the rules of the jungle, not the rule of law

The plummeting violence between Israel and Iran is a bitter lesson in what happens when we let the law of the jungle stifle the rule of law.

Israel’s latest missile attacks against Iran followed the largely ineffective bombardment of 300 missiles and drones against Israel more than a week ago, which seriously injured a seven-year-old boy and damaged a military base. Iran’s attack was a response to Israel’s killing of two Iranian generals and eight other people at an Iranian consulate in Syria earlier this month, apparently to deter Iran’s support for Hezbollah.

Both countries have rejected calls from world leaders to reduce tension. Both claim to be each other’s victims. These retaliatory attacks are a terrifying escalation of the conflict in a region already on a knife edge over Gaza and must stop immediately.

Much Western political and media commentary has been partisan, reflexively siding with Israel over Iran. In contrast, international law does not take political sides, but rather applies the rules equally to all countries. When respected and applied, international law is designed precisely to prevent spirals of retaliatory violence such as the one in which the world is now trapped.