Jonathan Conricus on the damaging role of UN peacekeepers in the Middle East — Jewish News Syndicate

Summary

In this insightful discussion, the speaker, a former Israeli officer seconded to the UN, critiques the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping forces, particularly in Israel's region. Drawing from personal experience, they highlight the failures of peacekeeping missions like UNIFIL in Lebanon, emphasizing their inability to implement mandates and report on critical violations. The speaker advocates for a reassessment of the role and effectiveness of these forces, proposing smaller, more efficient operations that could facilitate diplomacy without obstructing Israel's defense. The need for accountability and operational clarity within the UN is strongly emphasized, alongside the potential for a revised policy on peacekeeping in the region.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker shares their personal experience as the first Israeli officer seconded to the UN between 2014 and 2017, where they served and liaised with UN peacekeeping forces.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of peacekeeping but critiques the current effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations, especially in Israel and surrounding regions.
• 😀 The first thing the speaker saw upon arriving at UN headquarters was a display of Palestinian culture, highlighting perceived bias in the UN.
• 😀 A specific criticism is directed at UNIFIL in Lebanon, where the speaker claims peacekeepers failed to implement their mandate, misled the Security Council, and failed to report on Hezbollah's violations.
• 😀 The speaker believes that UN peacekeepers were ineffective in their role, particularly in preventing or reporting violations of Security Council resolutions and activities by Hezbollah.
• 😀 The speaker asserts that Israel was forced to limit its operations in southern Lebanon to avoid accidentally harming UN peacekeepers, even as Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.
• 😀 The speaker argues that the current scale of UN peacekeeping forces, especially UNIFIL with 10,000+ soldiers, is too large and ineffective for the region, suggesting that a downsizing would make peacekeeping more effective.
• 😀 There is a call for a strategic reassessment by Israel of its reliance on UN peacekeeping, with a suggestion to ‘rightsize’ the forces and hold them accountable for their actions and inactions.
• 😀 The speaker recommends focusing on smaller, more effective peacekeeping mechanisms that support diplomacy and reduce misunderstandings rather than large, inefficient peacekeeping operations.
• 😀 The speaker stresses that the lack of clarity from the Israeli political and military leadership on the effectiveness of peacekeeping forces contributes to the ongoing challenges and inefficiencies of UN peacekeeping in the region.

Q & A

What is the speaker's perspective on UN peacekeeping?

The speaker believes that UN peacekeeping is necessary, but current peacekeeping operations, particularly in Israel and Lebanon, are failing to deliver on their mandates. The speaker emphasizes the need for a global peacekeeping force but advocates for significant reform to ensure that peacekeepers are more effective.

Why does the speaker emphasize the need for a global government of sorts?

The speaker views the establishment of a global government as a solution to maintaining peace worldwide. They believe that peacekeeping forces should have a more significant role in resolving conflicts, but that the current peacekeeping system, especially within the UN, is not functioning optimally.

What personal experience does the speaker bring to the discussion of UN peacekeeping?

The speaker served as the first Israeli officer seconded to the UN from the IDF, working at UN headquarters and liaising with various UN peacekeeping forces between 2014 and 2017. This experience gives them unique insight into the operation of peacekeeping forces in Israel and the broader Middle East.

What does the speaker observe about the UN's bias towards Israel?

The speaker shares an experience during their first day at the UN headquarters, where they noticed a display of Palestinian culture and heritage, followed by a biased display about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This led them to believe that the UN is institutionally biased against Israel.

What is the current state of UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, there were once 18 active peacekeeping missions, but now there are only 11. The decrease in the number of operations reflects the inability of peacekeeping missions to deliver meaningful results in conflict zones such as Central African Republic, Congo, and Mali.

What specific peacekeeping forces are mentioned as operating in Israel?

The speaker mentions three key peacekeeping forces in Israel: UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), deployed in southern Lebanon; UNOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force), on the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria; and UNO (United Nations Office), overseeing Jerusalem.

What issues does the speaker have with UNIFIL's performance?

The speaker criticizes UNIFIL for failing to implement its mandate, misreporting the situation on the ground, and not preventing or accurately reporting violations in southern Lebanon. They argue that the peacekeepers allowed Hezbollah to build weapons caches and tunnels, which undermined Israel's security.

What alternative approach does the speaker suggest for UN peacekeeping in the region?

The speaker suggests downsizing UN peacekeeping forces and focusing on smaller, more effective operations. They propose limiting the role of peacekeepers to facilitating diplomacy through tripartite meetings and helping to mitigate misunderstandings between Israel and Lebanon, rather than maintaining large forces with ineffective results.

How does the speaker view Israel’s current policy towards UN peacekeeping?

The speaker believes that Israel’s policy towards UN peacekeeping is unclear and lacks consistency. They suggest that Israel should reassess its approach, including calling for a downsizing of UNIFIL and ensuring that peacekeeping forces are held accountable for failing to implement their mandates.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the impact of UN peacekeeping in Israel's security?

The speaker argues that UN peacekeepers have not been helpful in securing Israel. They state that peacekeepers not only failed to prevent violations of UN resolutions but also interfered with Israeli military operations, hampering Israel’s ability to defend itself effectively against threats from Hezbollah.