AG Mazuz: This is not "war," but "military operations"

Israel is still not legally at war with Lebanon, even though it is conducting large-scale ground operations on Lebanese territory, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz said yesterday.

According to Mazuz, the correct definition of Israel's current offensive is "military operations" not war, as he defined it in a previous opinion 10 days ago.

"The attorney general's position regarding the definition of these operations has not changed," the Justice Ministry told Haaretz. "The Israel Defense Forces' operations in Lebanon are covered by the relevant principles of international law, and the operations are carried out under the close supervision of the military prosecution."

Mazuz keeps tabs on events by participating in various governmental forums that deal with the ongoing fighting.

Supreme Court Justice David Cheshin yesterday ordered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to respond by tomorrow to a petition by MK Yossi Beilin (Meretz), which demands the government formally declare that Israel is at war in Lebanon, as required by the Basic Law on Government. Under this law, should Israel find itself at war, the prime minister must inform the Knesset plenum and the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee as soon as possible. The petition, filed yesterday, argues that Israel has effectively been at war since July 12.

"The very act of declaring war has many implications, both practical and constitutional," the petition said. "For instance, certain articles of the Property Tax and Compensation Fund Law go into effect. A declaration of war also enables [people] to file claims for war damages."