One isolated killing does not justify morally-defective boycott of Israel

Zoe Lawlor of Gaza Action Ireland uses the isolated killing of Abed al-Fattah Yusri al-Sharif, 21, by an Israeli soldier to support a universal claim that Israel engages in a campaign “of extrajudicial executions” in its confrontation with Palestinian terrorists (Letters, April 5).

The exploitation of a horrendous act by a rogue and clearly disturbed member of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to further a morally-defective Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) strategy is a distortion of one of the most stringent orders of a moral army operating in a moral vacuum.

The IDF has very strict rules of engagement. Once an enemy has been neutralised and no longer poses an immediate threat to you or anyone else, they may not be fired upon. Both defence minister Moshe Ya’alon and chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot declared that the IDF would not back up breaches of orders and norms.