assassinating diplomacy: how the killing of Count Folke Bernadotte shaped Israel’s playbook until this day.

it has been 75 years and nothing has changed.

Good day, spectators,

Israel’s recent decision to ban UNRWA got me thinking about its tense history with the UN. Today’s story reveals that this relationship began on disturbingly bad terms many years ago—and it seems those terms have continued to this day.

In 1948, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced or killed during the Nakba, Swedish diplomat Count Folke Bernadotte was appointed the UN’s first mediator in Palestine. His mission was as bold as it was complex: to find a peaceful resolution in a region being transformed by a Zionist campaign to, by its own words, ‘Create a Jewish state with as much land and as few Palestinians as possible.’

Bernadotte was no stranger to immense suffering; he had saved thousands from Nazi concentration camps during World War II. But nothing could have prepared him for the depth of fanatical resistance he would face in Palestine, nor for the price he would ultimately pay for championing the Palestinian right of return and calling out the injustices he saw unfolding…

the man himself

Count Bernadotte chats with Australian prisoners of war after liberating a camp in Nazi Germany.

Before stepping into the role of UN mediator in Palestine, Count Bernadotte was already well known the world over for his humanitarian efforts. As a Swedish diplomat and prominent figure in the Red Cross, he saved over 30,000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps. Bernadotte knew very well what the darkest sides of humanity looked like and, in the process, had become a respected advocate for peace and justice. This reputation made him the prime candidate to mediate in the escalating crisis, where displaced Palestinians were flooding into refugee camps and communities were being torn apart by violent occupation.

Appointed in May 1948, Bernadotte arrived in Palestine determined to find a just solution that could prevent further bloodshed. He was tasked with bringing stability to a region where the newly declared state of Israel was enforcing a brutal campaign to secure land. In his early days on the ground, Bernadotte’s dedication was clear—he travelled through devastated Palestinian villages, visited refugee camps, and saw firsthand the scale of displacement and suffering.

‘I believe and, I think I have the right to believe that we sooner or later, it might be sooner rather than later, can get a settlement and stop the war in Palestine!’

—Count Bernadotte

Bernadotte’s mission focused on one critical demand: that Palestinians have the right to return to their homes, a principle he saw as essential to any resolution that would be considered fair. This stance, however, placed him in direct opposition to the extremist Zionist vision for a Jewish state, where the return of Palestinians would challenge the demographic and territorial power that colonisers sought to establish.

the mission

As Bernadotte travelled through Palestine, the devastation he encountered sharpened his commitment to a just resolution. Refugee camps were filled with displaced Palestinians living in cramped conditions, with little to no access to food, medical aid, or even basic shelter. Bernadotte saw a humanitarian crisis that needed to stop.

In his report dated September 16, 1948, Bernadotte made a clear and uncompromising suggestion. He wrote:

“It would be an offence against the principles of elementary justice if these innocent victims were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine and indeed at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries.”

Furthermore, his report laid out his vision for peace—a two-state solution that included defined borders, an economic union between Israel and Palestine, and the repatriation of Palestinian refugees. To Bernadotte, these measures were not only fair but essential for long-term stability in the region.

However, his proposals were met with fierce resistance. For Zionist leaders, Bernadotte’s supported the Palestinian right of return and that was a no no. For them, this was a direct challenge to their vision of a Jewish state with no Palestinians and for that vision, they were prepared to silence any opposition.

silencing opposition since 1948

Just one day after submitting his report advocating the Palestinian right of return, Count Folke Bernadotte’s was assassinated by Zionists. While his car moved through Jerusalem, it was ambushed by members of Lehi, also known as the Stern Gang, a Zionist group. The group’s members fired at close range, essentially executing him. One of the assassins was Yitzhak Shamir, a Lehi member who would later rise to become Israel’s prime minister. Imagine that?

This assassination wasn’t just the bitter end of someone who spent their whole life advocating for peace; it was a declaration of how Israel intended to conduct itself in the face of opposition in the future. Violence, covert operations, and defiance of international norms have become familiar tools in Israel’s interactions with the UN and global institutions. This single act set a precedent for the confrontational relationship Israel has maintained with international bodies ever since.

a street named after the Count in Gaza.

Bernadotte’s legacy, though mostly and lamentably forgotten, marks the beginning of Israel’s long-standing habit of dodging accountability. From the UNRWA ban to countless other flagrant insults against the United Nations, Israel’s tactics echo a commitment to secure its goals, no matter the cost or the compromise to humanitarian principles. Today, as the wheel of time continues to turn, I would like us all to spend a moment remembering one of the first non-Palestinian martyrs for the cause of its liberty. Thanks for reading as always,

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