Following another weekend of violence, the Secretary General of the United Nations called for a humanitarian cease-fire on Monday, demanding compliance from both Israel and Gaza in the “name of humanity.” Ban Ki-moon’s words matched the Security Council’s earlier call for an immediate cease-fire, but he went on to deliver a sharp rebuke of both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, shaming them for letting their citizens die in the battle.
Though the comments were tempered with criticism of Gaza and Hamas, it remains clear that the U.N. is doing their bidding when making calls for a cease-fire. Palestinian authorities have been lobbying the U.N. to pass a more direct resolution for the last week, a step Ban and the Security Council stopped short of taking.
The problem with a humanitarian cease-fire at this point in time is the matter of trust. There are issues of bias in the statements made by the council. They do not mention Israel’s right to protect itself, nor do they make any comments on the rockets being fired into the country by Hamas. Like protestors around the world, the U.N. treats this as an unprovoked act of aggression on the part of Israel. Far too much of the world sees it the same way, treating Israel like a mom would a teenager who retaliates against his antagonizing little brother. You’re older, you should know better.
Still others seem confused as to why America should put her support behind Israel to begin with. We have done so historically since the creation of the state in 1948, but it’s fair to say that historicity is not much of a reason. The big reason, of course, is that they are an oasis of democracy in a Middle East that is chronically unstable, dictatorial, and volatile.
That Americans on both sides of the aisle would like to see peace-talks work out between Israel and the Palestinians, it has been the failed mission of the last three administrations to see that to fruition. 2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney went on record questioning whether “peace” was even what Palestinians wanted. It’s a valid question, backed up by the evidence of repeatedly-broken cease fires in the past. It’s also a question worth coming back to when the John Kerry and Obama make allusions toward getting things under control in that region.
Conservatives and the wisest of liberals know that putting America’s full support behind Israel is not just the right thing to do, it is the most practical from a strategic perspective. Israel has a powerful military, and it makes sense for America to create allies out of the strongest countries she can. That goes double for a region not known for its support of U.S. interests. To give up that ally would weaken our leverage with Iran, Iraq, and many of the neighboring countries. Until democracy and stability are Middle East trademarks, our alliance with Israel must continue.
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