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To Observe or Not Observe - That is the Question

TruthNews Commentary, July 23, 2001

Secretary of State Colin Powell caused a firestorm with his recent call for international observers in the Israeli Palestinian conflict. While Powell later backpedaled from his remarks, the idea of international observers was later endorsed this past weekend by the Group of 8 at a summit meeting in Rome. The deployment of international observers remains a key Palestinian demand which Israel adamantly opposes.

To many it might not be apparent why Israel would oppose the deployment of an international observation force in the disputed territories. However, Israel's reasons are compelling to anyone who wants to look at the situation fairly.

First, an international observer force would legitimize the Palestinian Authority as a national entity. International peacekeeping forces, when used properly, focus on stabilizing the peace between formerly warring nations, so a peacekeeping force would constitute de facto international recognition of the Palestinian Authority's status as a sovereign nation.

While Israel appears willing to eventually accept an independent Palestinian state, Israel requires that the establishment of any such state be subject to the following conditions: the Palestinians must declare an end to the conflict, renounce violence, and recognize the right of Israel to exist. Israel properly views the threat of an international observer force as unwarranted interference in its internal affairs. To Israel, this would be equivalent to the UN deploying peacekeeping forces in the U.S. during the civil rights disturbances of the 1960s.

A second reason for Israel to oppose an international observation force is that biased observation could lead to international intervention. In fact, this is what Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat is trying to achieve. To this end, Arafat is trying to stack the observation force to favor the Palestinian side. Arafat doesn't want U.S. observers, but rather demands EU or UN observers.

Israel has good reason to distrust a UN force. When Israel withdrew from the Sinai in 1956, the UN deployed a peacekeeping force to ensure that Egypt did not deploy forces into the Sinai to threaten Israel. However, when Egyptian dictator Nasser demanded the withdrawal of the peacekeepers in 1967, UN Secretary General U Thant promptly complied. The UN's cowardice, or worse, complicity in Nasser's plan led directly to the Six Day War. Israel decided that allowing Egyptian troops to encamp on their southern flank would pose too high a risk to their future survival and moved preemptively to occupy the Sinai peninsula. Because of the UN's failure in the Sinai, Israel refused to accept a UN force when Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt in 1979. Rather, the US leads the multinational peacekeeping force.

In Lebanon, Israel has also found itself facing a hostile UN force. The UN deployed to the Lebanon-Israel border following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon last year. However, the UN has failed to prevent attacks against Israel by the Hezbollah terrorist group. Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers near the border last year. The UN videotaped the kidnappers, but has refused to share the videotape with Israel. Israel believes that the video could aid in recovering the kidnapped soldiers, but the UN reused to even acknowledge the existence of the video.

A third reason for Israel to oppose an international observer force is that, rhetoric aside, there is no ceasefire to observe. As previously noted, international peacekeeping can only function if both sides have decided to implement a ceasefire. But Arafat has no intention of observing a ceasefire. His intention is to continue the violence, preferably with sympathetic international observation, in the hope of provoking international intervention similar to that in Yugoslavia over Kosovo.

Dan Shomrom, a former Chief of Staff of the IDF, pointed out in a recent interview with the Jerusalem Report, "Since Oslo, Arafat has not really entered into negotiations with us. He's been willing to take what we give him. If we here to give him the right of return - which amounts to the destruction of the State of Israel - then he'd have no problem. If not, he'll use terror to internationalize the conflict."

That's why Israel, and the U.S., should oppose the deployment of an international observer force in Israel, lest the situation go the way of Kosovo, and NATO begins bombing Israel to protect the "innocent" Palestinians.