Criticism of Israel as exhibiting a disproportionate response to Hamas rocket attacks have engendered a strong round of counter-criticisms that the entire idea of proportional response is a wimpy, academic, egghead, defeatist idea. Among my favorites so far (not going to provide links because they are so prevalent): Should the United States have limited itself to a proportional response to Germany and Japan after Pearl Harbor? This is war. In war you go do what it takes to win. War is inhuman, and you can't win by following made-up rules. What did you want Israel to do? Keep letting Hamas rain down rockets on towns? Hamas is a terrorist organization; you wipe them out like the vermin they are. The fact of the matter is that proportionality in law and war is an ancient concept, documented as far back as the Code of Hammurabi, and well-attested in Pentateuch legal codes (Ex 21;22-25; Lev 24:17-21; Deut 19:6-21; all the "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" stuff). The ...