ETHNIC PISTANTHROPHOBIA AND JUDAISM

WHY DOES ISRAEL NOT TRUST UNIFIL OR ANY FOREIGN ENTITY

Many Westerners were astonished and outraged after some peacekeepers were injured by the IDF. Over the years, there have been various incidents where UNIFIL personnel were harmed. One of the most striking events occurred in 2006, during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, when an Israeli airstrike hit a UN position in Khiyam, killing four UN soldiers. Some analysts, particularly Arabs, even speculated about the use—never confirmed—of an experimental depleted uranium device. What happened in recent days, therefore, is not a novelty, and if some found it unusual, it is solely due to the extreme fleetingness of human memory, a media apparatus that has focused on other regional frictions in recent years, and the U.S. choice to downplay the growing discontent of its Asian ally. In any case, Israel, then as now, has always expressed regret and stated that such incidents were not intentional attacks, but a logical consequence of military operations near UN positions.

Now, that Israelis deny this is a clever and understandable choice, but it is equally understandable that many foreigners do not believe in the randomness of such attacks. Netanyahu, if nothing else, has not been hypocritical and has stated unequivocally that UNIFIL must leave, and immediately… “Forewarned is forearmed.” Europeans raised their voices, which was a great opportunity to tell their electorate that they do not take orders from the Israelis (or the Americans) and have a say in the global landscape (1). However, in that peremptory and interpretatively closed speech, Netanyahu seems to address exclusively the USA, the only ones capable of directing and guiding Western foreign policy. The Jewish/Israeli people are increasingly tired of the continuous bombings from the north, and their Prime Minister is certainly not known for his submissiveness. How much longer can this dangerous status quo be tolerated? Thus, the U.S. intervention to terminate the UN mission, or at least to change the rules of engagement, becomes a crucial objective. Perhaps this is the most realistic goal, considering that the USA, despite being powerful, do not have unilateral power.

Even if the USA and the UK were to vote in favor, a veto from Russia and/or China could still prevent UNIFIL's termination. If they viewed it as a stabilizing factor or an opportunity to maintain their sphere of influence in Lebanon and the Middle East, they might vote against it. But France might also be less inclined to withdraw. Indeed, it has a long history of political, cultural, and diplomatic relations with Lebanon, dating back to the French mandate period after World War I. The land of the cedars was under French administration until its independence in 1943, and since then, the transalpine country has maintained close ties with the Asian state. France sees Lebanon as part of its economic sphere of influence (especially energy and banking) in the Eastern Mediterranean and is therefore strongly committed to its stability. Even if the USA pressured to end the mission, Paris might push for reform rather than cessation, seeking a balance between Israeli security and Lebanese stability.

Moreover, it is by no means certain that if there were no international peacekeeping force, Israel would be able to operate freely in Lebanon and completely defeat Hezbollah, a much more formidable enemy than Hamas. In the best-case scenario, the risk is that a dynamic similar to that seen in other unstable areas, such as the border between Jordan and Israel, could arise, where terrorist groups often try to cross the border wearing Israeli uniforms and pretending to be soldiers (2). There would be low-intensity guerrilla warfare, but with continuous and exhausting actions. Obviously, we would only have this eventuality if the Lebanese forces genuinely contributed to containing the terrorists, and that is a big "if." In the worst-case scenario, there could be a large-scale conflict involving other regional forces, such as Iran and Syria. Israel, although militarily strong, would face a tremendous challenge in managing a prolonged war against an enemy like Hezbollah, which has deep roots in Lebanese social fabric and can count on significant popular support. Bezalel Smotrich dreams, with a brash attitude, of a Greater Israel (Eretz Israel HaShlema) extending into Lebanon, but for a state with just 7 million pure Jews, it is unrealistic—besides being dangerous—to even imagine it. This idea is, not by chance, opposed by many rational and secular Jews.

That said, it is not pleasant to live in a state of constant uncertainty, and it is clear that something needs to be done, if only to dispel doubts and Jewish concerns. In Israel, UNIFIL troops are often referred to as “chocolate soldiers,” even by prestigious newspapers, questioning their actual authority and usefulness, and revealing to outsiders what Jews really think about a foreign military component that has continued to linger near their border for decades. Even if some contingents, like the Chinese, are extremely useful for mine clearance, the role of UNIFIL remains largely symbolic and controversial, largely ineffective in ensuring security. In 2018, Israel discovered a series of underground, branched, and labyrinthine tunnels along the border, built by Hezbollah to infiltrate fighters into the Jewish state (Operation Northern Shield). Tel Aviv criticized UNIFIL for failing to discover or prevent the construction of the tunnels, considering it a failure in monitoring military activities. Some even speculated that these soldiers were prone to turning a blind eye to the activities of terrorist groups, perhaps because they were anti-Semitic or of Islamic faith. Indeed, it is hard to believe that no one noticed suspicious movements and sounds during the construction of so many tunnels, some of which passed just a few meters from their outposts. What were those foreigners doing, twiddling their thumbs? Were they observing but did not feel the need to inform Tel Aviv? Did they want to be so neutral that they tolerated criminal activities that would almost certainly cause deaths and injuries? In any case, it is a serious episode that raises legitimate concerns for those analyzing their operational effectiveness. Therefore, to say that UNIFIL troops were mistakenly attacked may seem insidious, but it is no more insidious than those who assert they did not notice the construction of six tunnels, one of which was equipped with tracks for transporting equipment.

The recent killing of Sinwar and the discovery of an UNRWA teacher's passport next to his body further casts a shadow over the UN and complicates the relationship between Israel and the numerous foreigners who—apparently—work to pursue peace and the common good (3). In this regard, reading the comments, it is interesting to note how some readers are hostile towards the United Nations and the West, expressing an absolute lack of trust (4). The hypothetical collusion between foreigners and extremist Arabs is the logical specter of a people that, over the millennia, has always faced problematic interactions, arid and contested desert environments, yet idealized to the point of becoming a land where “milk and honey” (Eretz Zavat Chalav u'Dvash) flow, with foreigners often arriving as a deus ex machina to resolve tensions, only to end up subjugating them. Moreover, it is significant to remember that the Romans came to Judea in 63 B.C. to resolve the dynastic dispute between two claimants to the Hasmonean throne, Hyrcanus II and his brother Aristobulus II. Ironically, it was these two brothers who called General Pompey and, in a sense, decreed centuries of torment and persecutions for the Jewish people. Long before 70 A.D., the loss of Jewish freedom begins with the arrival of foreigners welcomed with honors, indifferent and unaware of what such actions would entail. And so, the key to everything, perhaps, lies in finding a difficult balance with closely related peoples and cooperating for a shared purpose. Not by chance, one of the most stable periods in ancient Israel was during the reign of Salome Alexandra (76 B.C. - 67 B.C.), who allied with the Seleucids (Greeks of Asia) in an anti-Parthian role. If Israel wants to defend itself from Iran—or at least keep it at bay—it can only do so with the help of other Asian and African nations. Regarding Europeans and other Westerners, in light of all that Jews have suffered over the centuries, they should operate with greater tact, considering that an exorbitant number of Israelis oppose even a hypothetical peacekeeping force in Gaza (5). Obviously, a good dose of pragmatism will be needed even more. Doubling a UNIFIL 2 in Gaza, with all possible guarantees and negotiations, but making it a mutilated and useless organization, would only amplify the rift between Israel and the West.

REFERENCES:

1- The nations not invited by Biden to the Berlin summit are those that have condemned the alleged attacks on the UNIFIL contingent with the greatest vehemence. The choice was strategic and aimed at downplaying internal concerns about a feared diplomatic marginalization. Meloni quickly organized a lightning visit to Lebanon, a trip that was almost entirely ignored by the Israeli press, which, at best, appeared in irrelevant snippets and certainly did not raise concerns among the citizens of Israel.

2- https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sywtb91xke

3- https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/unrwa-teachers-passport-was-found-on-sinwar-its-holder-is-reported-to-be-in-egypt/

4- The most interesting comment is from a certain Mifsud (a Maltese Jew?) who writes: “It’s hardly news anymore. The evidence showing how UNRWA is actively complicit in international terrorism in the Levant is overwhelming. Not only does it employ Hamas terrorists as teachers—teaching young children—but it also provides Hamas with services, facilities, and, I have no doubt, information. This is a UN agency, which is also the mother of UNIFIL, the other UN entity that is complicit—in this case, apparently passively—in international terrorism, allowing Hezbollah to militarize southern Lebanon when they were deployed to do exactly the opposite.”

5- https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-809940#google_vignette