Lightning Strike

The Ethics of Preemptive Strikes

As Arab armies mobilized along its borders, Israel faced immense international pressure not to launch a preemptive strike. She ignored these warnings and struck first. What are the ethics of preemptive strikes? What weight should be given to political considerations -- as opposed to purely security/military concerns -- in rendering such decisions? And how do these deliberations apply to the host of mortal threats that Israel faces today?