The UN Should Blame Itself When Israel Doesn’t Listen

In this newsletter I try to show that while human rights are a worthy ideal, human rights organizations and activists often let us down. Here I explain why the UN bears a lot of the blame for its own ineffectiveness in the Middle East.

The United Nations was established to promote human rights and safeguard international peace and security. Over the past year, its many organs have devoted tremendous attention to the Mideast crisis. One would therefore have hoped for and anticipated progress. Consider:

In April, the UN Human Rights Council adopted five resolutions related to Gaza. In May it released a detailed report on violations of human rights and humanitarian law by both Israel and Hamas in the current conflict, complete with dozens of recommendations to be followed. The council’s chairman, Volker Turk, has made numerous statements condemning war crimes and calling for an end to the suffering.

The Human Rights Council’s special rapporteurs have also put out many statements and calls for action. Recently, on the one year anniversary of the Oct. 7^th attacks, a large group of them released a joint statement calling for an end to the war, the release of hostages, unhindered humanitarian aid, and accountability for war crimes.

The International Court of Justice has so far heard three relevant cases. One was its advisory opinion about the occupation. In another, South Africa vs. Israel, it ordered provisional measures to safeguard Palestinian rights.

Back in June the UN Security Council passed a resolution imposing a three phase process for ending the war. In September the General Assembly passed a resolution calling for Israel to withdraw completely from Palestinian territory. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has made countless statements condemning violations of international law and calling for peace.

So after all this, wouldn’t we expect to see some progress? But not only has all this UN attention not ended the fighting, it hasn’t seemed to make even the slightest difference. Israel is still under rocket fire, the hostages are still in captivity, the suffering in Gaza continues and the war has expanded to Lebanon and Iran. Things are only getting worse.

Of course the United Nations will say that it is doing its job, and all the blame should be placed on Israeli (along with Hamas and perhaps other) leaders. But the UN system is most needed in difficult, conflict situations like the Middle East where international norms are not respected. If the UN can only maintain peace on borders like the one between the U.S. and Canada, why have it around?

UN officials will say they’ve done all they can, and claim to need even more coercive power and authority since what they’ve got isn’t working. But is this true, or have they simply squandered and misused the substantial resources that they already have? Where are the demands for accountability from the UN itself?

Here are some simple and clear places to start:

Disrespect Invites Disrespect

Have UN officials, including special rapporteurs, been respectful in their dealings with Israel? Whatever one’s opinion of Bibi Netanyahu, when UN officials speak of him disparagingly it insults not only him but all the citizens of Israel who chose him and whom he represents. Proverbs 27:19 states, “Just as water reflects a face, so too the heart of one person to another.” This means we tend to treat others the way they treat us. There is no more surefire way for UN representatives to cause Israelis to disrespect them and the entire United Nations organization than for them to be disrespectful towards Israel’s leaders. This lays the foundation for Israel and its citizens to dismiss and scoff at any findings, reports, or rulings the UN system produces.

Lack of Balance Leads to Scorn

Have reports, resolutions, and findings been even-handed and balanced, or have they been one-sided? For example, when the ICJ released its initial decision ordering provisional measures in January, that 29 page document filled with allegations of Gaza suffering mentioned the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas only once, briefly in the 85^th paragraph. This pattern continued in later ICJ rulings and is echoed in other UN statements that contain only light, token condemnations of the Oct. 7^th atrocities. This gives the clear impression that the overwhelming, primary interest is in protecting Palestinians and that cruelty, aggression, and suffering directed against Israelis is a lesser matter. Why wouldn’t Israelis conclude that if the UN doesn’t care about us, we shouldn’t care about them?

Gotcha demands

It’s easy to blame Israel for not obeying UN resolutions or ICJ decisions. But when the demands are impossible, is the goal to bring about change or just to catch Israel in a trap? One example is the resolution passed by the General Assembly in September demanding that Israel remove all of its settlements and withdraw completely from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza within twelve months. Not only does the resolution completely overlook the current war and the fate of the hostages, but the fact that it would be physically impossible for Israel to do this even if it wanted to doesn’t seem to matter as well. The only possible outcome is that Israel will once again be found to not be in compliance and condemned for ‘acting with impunity’ and ‘thumbing its nose’ at international law. Can you blame Israelis for taking the attitude that if all they want to do is condemn us why should we deal with them at all?

Being Picked On

The disproportionate focus on Israel at the UN is well known. For example, in 2022 over one half of all General Assembly condemnations were directed at Israel. At the Human Rights Council, every session features what’s called item 7, a permanent, standing agenda item against Israel. This is not the case regarding any other country in the world, no matter how massive their human rights problems. When Israelis see that this treatment, they quite reasonably conclude that the UN is biased and out to get them. Unfortunately, after years of this, when the human rights council then tries to intervene in Gaza it finds that it has no credibility at all.

Accountability from the UN

There are many more specific examples I could give. But the main point is that yes, the world is a difficult place and Israel has a difficult government. But the key reason the UN has so little ability to work for good in the current conflict is that it has squandered its credibility. And that’s a shame.

Why aren’t we hearing demands for accountability from UN leadership? It’s the job of UN leaders to become respected spokesmen for human rights with gravitas on the world stage, so why did they let themselves burn so many bridges with Israel and its successive governments? It’s time not only for the UN to demand change from others, but for all of us who want to see the UN grow into a strong mechanism of ensuring human rights to demand change from the UN too.