A Fair Proposal

But fairness rarely enters international politics. I have to credit my father with expressing this idea first but the suggestion has bounced around inside my head since the proposal to deploy a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon was raised. This force will take up the Israeli Defense Forces current posture in occupation of southern Lebanon. One wonders what problems this force will face in containing or attempting to disarm Hizbullah. I fear this force will leave shortly after it sets foot in Lebanon. At which point many of the roads, bridges and power plants will be rebuild, just in time to be destroyed again at the hands of the Israelis.

So my father's proposal was that in addition to the 20 km peacekeeping zone established in southern Lebanon a matching 20 km zone should be established in northern Israel. This would show the world that the UN is not taking sides in the conflict and is serious about keeping both sides apart. In addition, Israel agreeing to a peacekeeping force on its territory would demonstrate a commitment to not meddle in southern Lebanon. No drones sent across the border, or worse, fighter jets to provoke the Lebanese and Hizbullah. Israel, as I have mentioned before, is the most provocative state in the Middle East so even with UN peacekeepers in place I expect they'll often be after intelligence across the border.

So I propose a 40 km demilitarized zone along southern Lebanon and northern Israel. And the UN should throw in a no-fly zone to prevent drones and fighters from disturbing the negative peace and upsetting families on either side. Is this going to happen? Of course not. Israel would never agree. But one cannot deny that this is the just and fair solution.

Rest assured that if my father and I thought about this solution, most newspapers and people in the non-Western world are thinking about it as well. Again it comes back to hypocrisy but I'm sure you've had enough of my use of that word.