If a smaller kid is throwing punches at you but you are able to avoid being hit by holding him at arms length, is it acceptable to throw punches with the other arm?
If a smaller adult is swinging a knife at you, and you're able to mostly avoid being hit by the knife by holding him at arms length, is it acceptable to respond with force to disarm the knife-wielding lunatic?
You're conveniently ignoring motives here. If the lunatic adult is wielding a knife because (he claims that) you took his house and land and started living in it and don't want to leave, then do you still think it's acceptable to hit him? It seems to me that you're oversimplifying the situation. Nothing is black and white, and certainly not the Israel-Palestina conflict.
Well, if he keeps at it for 8 years, and occasionally manages to throw rocks at your brothers and injure them as well, then .. yes, I think that kid has those punches coming.
Kid doesn't seem to have any parents to educate/restrain him, and the police is not interested. Not many other choices.
Yep.