No peace to keep? Israel pressures United Nations in Lebanon

The Debate

They are called peacekeepers, but what is their mission when they cannot keep the peace? The United Nations, along with the 40 nations that contribute UNIFIL blue helmets to monitor the buffer zone in south Lebanon, is condemning the growing standoffs with Israel's invading army that have culminated in a tank ramming the gates of an observation post on Sunday. We hear about the fallout and comment on the counterargument.

Israeli forces are releasing drone footage purporting to show a Hezbollah position that is literally a stone's throw away from a UNIFIL base. What is the UN's job when Hezbollah fires rockets for 11-plus months out of a zone that is supposed to be the reserve of the Lebanese army? What does the world body do when Israel asks the peacekeepers to get out of the way?

There is a broader issue: UN bashing is a pretty safe sport, particularly when a permanent Security Council member like the United States has your back, but what is the alternative? Binyamin Netanyahu may score political points at home for slapping a travel ban on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, but what are the actual consequences?

Produced by Andrew Hilliar, Rebecca Gnignati and Ilayda Habip.