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Power Plays for Peace
By Yona Kaplan, Israel
From the beginning of the latest war between Israel and Lebanon it seemed as though everyone wanted Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. So eventually, we agreed. Now Israeli forces are completely out of Lebanon including the positions Israel occupied during the war that were previously held by Hizbullah. These areas are currently under the control of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (United Nations interim force in Lebanon).
"It seems however, that the international community likes passing resolutions a lot more than getting their hands dirty." -Yona Kaplan
UNIFEL separates the north of Israel (and by some reports, central Israel as well) from Hizbullah's rockets. France curried widespread support for this international force to keep the peace however, when it came time to put this force together even the most supportive countries didn't want to participate. Even France appeared half-hearted initially planning to send only 300 troops. Other countries in favor of the UNIFEL solution and willing to commit their troops like Indonesia do not even have diplomatic relations with Israel. So I ask you, if the largest Muslim country in the world has no relations with Israel, how well will their troops defend our country against missile attacks?
The power and jurisdiction of this international force is not clear either. According to UNIFIL their commanders have "sufficient authority to act forcefully when confronted with hostile activity". But what will they do if they know that Hizbullah is stockpiling rockets or discreetly spreading their forces along the border?
UNIFIL has been in Lebanon since 1978 although it was assigned to serve in a smaller, slightly different capacity. UNIFIL was aware of the fact that Hizbullah had kidnapped Israeli soldiers. And when the war broke out it was clear that UNIFIL forces could not stop the situation from deteriorating further so they left the region. I ask you, is this the kind of force you would want protecting your country?
More than anything, I want to believe in the power and effectiveness of the international community. I want to believe that the border between Israel and Lebanon will remain quiet henceforth. It seems however, that the international community likes passing resolutions a lot more than getting their hands dirty. Nonetheless, I will wait and hope that the international community gives me a reason to believe there will be peace.
