(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Brig.-Gen. (res.) Assaf Orion - On Aug. 30, 2017, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2373 extending UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon for another year. The ambassadors of the U.S. and Israel declared improvements to the mandate. UNIFIL's first report to the Security Council since the resolution reflects a rise in the visibility of UNIFIL activity, with slightly more detailed reporting about incidents with armed individuals and harassment of UNIFIL patrols. Israel should take an integrated approach: maximize UNIFIL's potential utility to diffuse escalation; challenge the UN more forcefully for credibly reflecting reality in its reporting; push for a reduction in UNIFIL forces on the ground while preserving their quality; and tighten policy coordination with the U.S. The writer served as head of the Strategic Division in the Planning Directorate of the IDF General Staff (2010-2015), where he was in charge of communication with UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.
2018-01-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive