Public Affairs Discussion Group
"Morality in Armed Conflict"
March 25, 2005
Crawford Hall, Room 14
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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Amos Guiora
Case Visiting Professor of Law and Lt.
Colonel, Israeli Defense Forces
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Dear Colleagues:
This Friday, our
lunch discussion will focus on what may be the hardest
issue of all: whether there can be any morality in war.
War is hell, it has
been said. Hell is not known for good behavior. But
there have long been efforts to create rules and law of
proper behavior in war, from the codes of chivalry to
the Geneva Conventions.
The concept of “war
crime” may seem an oxymoron if war is the greatest crime
of all. It may also be ignored by those who believe
that war is for survival and survival is the ultimate
law. Probably most people, however, think of armed
conflict as something in which it is sometimes necessary
that their countries engage, but on which there should
be some limits, some bounds of decency or at least
prudence.
The disgusting
pictures from Abu Ghraib and
“collateral damage” in the invasion and occupation of
Iraq should bring these issues home to Americans. But
Israelis have had to think constantly about war and its
limits since the birth of their nation in armed
conflict, and that was only exacerbated when Israel
occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967.
Visiting Professor of
Law Amos Guiora has had to
deal with these issues at first hand. He is also Lt.
Colonel Guiora of the
Israeli Defence Forces Judge
Advocate General Corps. He has been Commander of the
IDF School of Military Law, Judge Advocate for the Navy
and Home Front Command, and Legal Advisor to the Gaza
Strip. He has had to both train soldiers and commanders
in a code of conduct, and judge violations of the code.
He will discuss
Morality in Armed
Conflict at this week’s Friday Public Affairs
Lunch Discussion,
March 25 from
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the
Toepfer Room on the Second Floor of
Adelbert Hall.
As usual, cookies and beverages will be provided to
accompany the lunch you bring. Please come with
questions.
Best,
Joseph White, Ph.D.
Family Professor and Chair Department of
Political Science Director, Center for
Policy Studies Case Western Reserve
University
About Our Guest
When Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law
decided to teach national security law, it turned to its
1985 graduate, Amos N. Guiora, from the Israel Defense
Forces, an expert in the legal aspects of security and
counter-terrorism. Guiora will spend the next year at
the law school as a visiting member of the law faculty.
Part of the legal expertise Guiora brings to Case is
negotiations in Washington, D.C., of the “safe passage”
agreement between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with
the Palestinians, the Gaza-Jericho Agreement and the
Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement. Guiora has also
served as Judge Advocate of the Israeli Navy during the
capture of the Katrine A—a Palestinian gun-running ship.
His legal expertise was integral in forging the
Gaza-Jericho Agreement and the Israeli-Palestinian
Interim Agreement.
“Over the years, Amos Guiora has been a frequent
visitor and lecturer at the Case School of Law,” said
Gerald Korngold, McCurdy Professor and dean of the law
school. “Amos continually has received an overwhelming
reception by the students and faculty. His wealth of
knowledge and expertise in security issues at the
national and international levels will enhance the
education provided to Case law students and the Case
community.”
Guiora, who was born in Israel but moved to the
United States before the first grade and has dual
citizenship, grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich., and attended
Kenyon College where he graduated in 1979 with honors in
history. He claims to own one of the largest Wolverine
football tape collections outside the United States.
Prior to attending law school at Case, Guiora worked
in Washington, D.C., for two years as assistant to U.S.
Rep. Howard Wolpe (D-Mich.) and one year for a
communications consulting company.
Shortly after graduating from Case, he moved to
Israel and was drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces
Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) where he rose to the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
“Over the past 18 years, I have been very involved in
national security/counter-terrorism issues, in
negotiating with the Palestinians and teaching
international and counter-terrorism law,” elaborated
Guiora via email from Israel.
He also held senior positions as Commander of the
Israeli Defense Forces School of Military Law, Judge
Advocate for the Navy and Home Front Command and Lead
Advisor to the Gaza Strip.
During a NATO conference in Prague, Guiora came to
the international media’s attention with his
demonstration of interactive software that he developed
that teaches IDF commanders and soldiers an 11-point
code of conduct in their relationship with Palestinian
citizens during conflicts. He also has shown the
software to the U.S. military and government officials
in Washington, D.C.
“It is the only such software in the world and has
had incredible responses from the target audience of the
IDF commanders and soldiers and from the international
community,” he said. The software that was developed at
the IDF School of Military Law commanded by Guiora until
recently has been translated into English and made
available internationally.
Spring 2005 Semester Schedule
April 1: Toepfer Room: Sharona Hoffman,
Associate Professor of Law, “Race and the Law.”
April 8: Toepfer Room: Robert Clarke Brown, Member of the
Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington
Airports Authority and Capital Markets Advisor at the
U.S. Department of Transportation: “The
Politics of Airports.”
April 15: TBA
April 22:
Toepfer Room: Robert Walters Ph.D.,
“Responding to Humanitarian Emergencies – What a
Geologist Learned at the State Department.”
Parking:
People who due to mobility concerns need to make special
arrangements for parking for the Public Affairs
Discussion Group Friday Lunch
Series can send their request for parking to,
patricia.cornacchione@case.edu or you can call
216-368-4440 and speak to Pat or Fay to make arrangements.
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