What is the "proportionate" response to cross-border terrorist attacks which kill Israeli soldiers and kidnap others in order to trade them for convicted terrorists? Or to the firing of over 1,000 rockets and missiles into Israeli cities and towns, hitting houses, schools, and businesses, as part of a proxy force for Iranian efforts to "wipe Israel off the map?"

For a number of European leaders, as well as human-rights groups, all Israeli responses are automatically "disproportionate." Thus, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy condemned Israel for damaging the runways at the airport "of an entirely sovereign country, a friend of France…" – an operation in which no one was killed or wounded. Nevertheless, he pompously declared that "this is a disproportionate act of war."

When it comes to Israel, "disproportionate" and "excessive" use of force, "collective punishment," violations of international law, war crimes, etc. are used entirely subjectively. And they are central in the strategy to delegitimise Israel. International law gives all states, including Israel, the obligation and right to use force to defend their citizens. After Iran and Syria supplied Hizbollah with 14,000 missiles, stored under houses, mosques, and schools, Israeli attacks are fully justified. And the Israeli military has gone out of its way to prevent unnecessary civilian deaths.

In this political campaign, "human rights" superpowers are central players, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International (AI), and others. HRW has issued four press statements in a week, accusing Israel of terrorism, and charging that Israel’s "destruction seems aimed more at…preventing [the civilian population] from fleeing the fighting."

AI’s press release blamed both Israel and Hizbollah for "war crimes" – terrorists and victims are given equal status. And Israel is then singled out with a demand to "respect the principle of proportionality," without any hint on how to protect Israelis from attacks.

In short, in this war, and in many other Israeli responses, it is the rhetoric that is "disproportionate."

Professor Gerald M. Steinberg is the director of the Programme on Conflict Management at Bar Ilan University and heads www.ngo-monitor.org