What Are Relations Like Between the IDF and UN Missions?

Somebody on Quora asked:

What are relations really like, on the ground, between the IDF and the UN missions (UNTSO, UNIFIL, etc) that they have to liaise with?

I answered:

I guess we’re unlikely to get an answer from either side.

But let me add this.

I made, as an acquaintance a few years ago, a Lieutenant Colonel (now retired, I believe) from the Irish Defense Forces (confusingly also ‘IDF’, although typically they use the acronym ‘DF’) who was serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCOM) at UNTSO.

The officer very kindly offered to take me on a tour of UNTSO headquarters at Government House and explained the various missions’ remits in some detail (both being from Ireland, we also talked about VPNs and how to stream the Six Nations in Israel!). I was also fortunate enough to be invited to a couple of functions at Government House over the years, which has a fascinating history and once served as the seat of the British Mandate. The complex (and the mere presence of UN peacekeepers in Israel) is kind of a magnet for the ire of the Israeli far-right.

At these events, I had the opportunity to meet a number of run-of-the-mill Irish soldiers attached to the various UN missions.

My observations:

  • I didn’t detect any ill-will on their part to Israel or ‘the Israelis’, although, without wishing to sound too cynical, it’s worth pointing out that it would be prudent to disguise that when talking to a Jewish immigrant if they held those views. In fact, compared to many UN postings, Israel is seen as relatively cushy (“Club Med” is an informal description used by both the UN and the diplomatic community!).
  • Politically, I was also surprised that most of the peacekeepers were either neutral or somewhat pro-Israel in their political views (bear in mind that serving in a peacekeeping mission is mandatory when joining the Irish Army. I think that those interested in pursuing a career in the military might actually admire Israel’s military strength and its unlikely victories over the years).
  • The UN peacekeepers did sometimes report/experience a feeling of hostility from Israelis. Minor things mostly like a shopkeeper turning sour when they saw a UN service card in their wallet. Others didn’t report experiencing this at all.
  • Diplomats living in Israel, for the most part, have no idea about what it’s really like to live in Israel — the cost of living, difficult experiences most face after immigrating, etc. The diplomatic bubble in Israel is centered around Herzliah Pituach, where most ambassadors’ residences are, and which is also just about the most luxurious and Westernized part of the country. (Most embassies are in Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, which are also both among the most ‘developed’ parts of the country.) I think that the Israel they experience is definitely not representative of the country as a whole (like a Birthright trip!) and I believe many might return from their postings with the warped view that Israel is a kind of Jewish Disneyland / holiday resort! For most Israelis, everyday reality is a lot more gritty and the cost of housing has become an enormous challenge — particularly for those that immigrated in the last 20 years. Believe it or not, most of us do not have pools on our roof!
  • Those attached to the humanitarian missions (important distinction here — being posted to UNRWA, through joining the organization, says a lot more about your political compass than being seconded to UNIFIL, which the soldiers probably had no choice about) were a lot more anti-Israel in their politics. Majorly so. Ergo for those attached to representations to the PA in East Jerusalem and/or Ramallah — but that’s kind of a given. Bear in mind that my own views are to the center / left of the spectrum, so I saw fairly eye to eye on many issues even with the latter.
  • I remember exchanging shekels for UN food stamps to purchase beer at the barracks bar. I really wish I’d thought to take a photo of exchanging an UNRWA stamp for a can of Tuborg. (Although that’s absolutely not to make light of the dire humanitarian situation of those who really do use those stamps and for whom buying beer with them would be inconceivable).
  • What struck me most was that most of the soldiers with the UN missions had almost no engagement with Jewish Israeli society or knowledge of Jewish culture whatsoever. Tellingly, most UN-issued business cards used by personnel in Jerusalem have only Arabic and English. Their work brings them into close contact with (almost exclusively) Palestinian society. To give an example — I met an individual working with an EU mission to Israel who had been in the country for four years — but who had never attended a Friday night dinner, nor had any real understanding about what Shabbat was. It’s a theory, but I even think that an unspoken anti-fraternization policy might exist — but only with one ‘side’.

For various reasons (which it would not be wise to disclose!) I am no longer in contact with contacts at the UN or the Irish Embassy in Israel (although I greatly enjoyed the Embassy functions under the Ambassadorship of Alison Kelly — a lovely lady and great representative of Ireland who has also recently retired).

However, I have some closing thoughts about the few times interacting with both institutions:

  • I think it’s unfortunate that most Israelis think that everyday UN soldiers are ‘out to get them’ or Israel. For the most part, the UN peacekeepers that I briefly met were really nice people who thought that they were doing both sides of the conflict a service. (Personally, I think that most UN bodies are ineffective, biased, and a waste of resources although I did not sense the animosity that, for instance, the UN Security Council routinely exhibits from the everyday peacekeepers attached to UNTSO / UNSCO / UNIFIL / etc).
  • It’s also unfortunate that UN workers posted here seem to have little interaction with Jewish Israeli society. Maybe they’re made to feel unwelcome? Whatever the explanation, I can’t help but think that being endlessly exposed to the Palestinian narrative (and participating in workshops from very left-leaning NGOs such as Al-Haq as well as those, like Breaking the Silence, which effectively just work to propagate the same view of the conflict) creates a bias eventually through mere dint of repetition / subconscious programming.
  • Many had interesting insights about the conflict. One soldier I met was adamant that travelling to any parts of Sinai was extremely dangerous, even though many Israelis flout official government warnings by visiting Taba etc every year.
  • I have no idea how relations are between the UN and the IDF, although I do know that they have a liaison relationship. So I am still curious!