Thursday, August 17, 2006

That's the way the UN resolution - I mean the cookie - crumbles

For anyone who might be questioning the effectiveness of the recent UN resolution regarding the conditions of the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah, the following quote, taken from this article in Haaretz, should provide the answer you're looking for.

"According to the (Lebanese) cabinet decision, Hezbollah will not disarm in
southern Lebanon, but its members will refrain from carrying weapons in
public. The agreement was reached following deliberations with Hezbollah
representatives that lasted days."

Is it just me, or does this compromise seem to fall slightly short of what was agreed upon by Lebanon and Israel in order for the ceasefire to come into effect? Perhaps I'm missing some of the finer nuances, but it seems that there's a serious difference between disarming and hiding. If this is the spirit in which the UN resolution will be implemented, I must confess that any fleeting shreds of respect I may have had for the UN are completely destroyed, and to be on the safe side, I believe I will continue to ensure that our in-house shelter is kept in good condition, and pray that round two doesn't come too quickly.

In the meantime, I'll just sit back and watch the country crumble like a chocolate chip cookie that's been dunked in a glass of milk. War-related scandals? Political scandals? Showbiz? Yes folks. You can find all of those scandals and more, right here, right now. Israel - your one-stop scandal shop. The country is going to hell in handbasket, so you'd better hold on. I think we've got a bumpy ride coming up ahead.

9 comments:

Rami said...

the best resolution is to disarm all states and armed groups, and use helper-monkeys with electro-shocker guns to keep internal security.

then no need for the UN, or corrupted security officials.

Anonymous said...

I kind of like the monkey suggestion. Monkeys are cute.

If we could just get rid of the Security Council's right to veto, the UN might actually have the possibility to make some decisions that aren't watered down to the point of uselessness...

Liza said...

rami: In an ideal world, I'd say you're absolutely right, but since we can't even get one sovereign nation to disarm a militia (that is also a member of its government) operating from within its territory, not to mention anyone else willing to take on the task, the nations that come under threat from such groups cannot afford to lay down their weapons either.

I like the monkey idea, though of course, people might confuse them with the monkeys currently running my country. Would they be flying monkeys like in the Wizard of Oz?

Your suggestion made me think of a book I read years ago, Peter Hoeg's "The Woman and the Ape", where one of the main characters is an ape who has been modified (if I remember correctly), so that he has more human characteristics.

nrg: Monkeys are definitely cute, but I've heard they can be quite mean.

In my opinion, we have to get rid of the Security Council, which essentially became a joke several years back when Syria was made head of the council. The US would never give up its veto rights, and as an Israeli, I'd have to say that it would bode very badly for Israel, given the frequency of one-sided anti-Israel resolutions.

Anonymous said...

Nope, by Jove, I think you've got it!

Hey, we're used to this stuff here in the States. Bush is still trying to convince everyone we are winning in Iraq, and now Bush and Olmert are both trying to convince everyone that Israel won in Lebanon!

I guess it all depends on your definition of "win."

Anonymous said...

Nope, by Jove, I think you've got it!

Hey, we're used to this stuff here in the States. Bush is still trying to convince everyone we are winning in Iraq, and now Bush and Olmert are both trying to convince everyone that Israel won in Lebanon!

I guess it all depends on your definition of "win."

Rami said...

liza... everytime we see a ray of hope the situation gets more complicated...

the security council has always been a joke, what use of such thing if still one nation can veto a unianimous vote.

the whole world order is sad, you know.

i honestly think that if the world's super powers and Israel, wake up one day and honestly reach out to arab nations, militias, and peoples, there will be a positive response.

unfortunately there is a great deal of conspiracy theories that are being dealt with as reality. and its only getting messier.

why is everyone rushing to pull the trigger and spark aggression, and no one ever takes the initiative for peace?

why are the words peace and betrayal synonyms these days...

lets get those monkeys, am tired of humans.

JJ said...

Unfortunately, I think we'll be reaping the "benefits" of that asinine don't-ask-don't-tell policy soon enough.

Are the dumbasses at the UN really that stupid, or is it just willful ignorance? You know- it's not pretty (the fact that Hezbullah would never adhere to any agreement), so we'll just pretend not to see it.

Dumbasses.

ExpatEgghead said...

The UN is made up of nation states. If they don't want to, the UN can't do anything. It is a fantasy to assume that foreign soldiers will come to Lebanon and do what the IDF can't. We ignored Hezbollah for six years and it is Israel that will pay the price and have to sort it out. No deus ex machina. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Liza - don't give up on the UN too quickly. These things take time - a luxury no one seems to be able to afford these days. Hizbullah will be disarmed by the Lebanese government but it's going to be a long and slow road. First, the Lebanese forces have to prove to the Southern Lebanese that they are capable of protecting the border. One step at a time - if we just hold on, we'll get there.