Israel should not be expelled from the UN, Mehdi...

but it should be sanctioned to smithereens and peacekeeping forces need to be reinforced.

Good day spectators (and Mehdi Hasan),

The other week, I read Mehdi’s article arguing that Israel should be expelled from the UN and to be honest, this is completely understandable. Israel has openly sh*t upon international law, spat in the face of the Organisation and spent the past year committing genocide in Palestine. His call to expel Israel from the United Nations certainly feels justified for those of us who have been following the rampage.

However, as someone who is very close to the UN thanks to my childhood, I believe expelling Israel from the UN would undermine the institution's core purpose—ensuring that even the worst that humanity has to offer remains part of the global forum. Instead of expulsion, what Israel needs is severe, crippling sanctions and to face more peacekeepers wherever they go. Here’s my take:

Israel doesn’t give a crap about the UN

Israel's behaviour towards the United Nations in recent months has been hostile to say the least. From openly mocking the institution to directly attacking its personnel, Israel has shown a complete disregard for international norms and the very principles the UN stands for. It’s part of a broader pattern of contempt, aimed at undermining the UN’s authority while continuing to violate international law.

Essentially the country is trying to gaslight you into thinking that the UN is illegitimate which is not only dangerous but really scary considering that the US is on its side.

Here’s a summary of Israel’s recent actions towards the UN:

• Netanyahu denounced the UN as a “house of darkness” and a “swamp of antisemitic bile” while speaking to the representatives of all countries.

• The outgoing Israeli ambassador’s shredded a copy of the UN charter at the General Assembly and called for the UN’s destruction.

• Israel’s foreign minister’s labelled the UN Secretary-General a "persona non grata" and banned him from ever entering Israel.

• They actively blocked the UN-mandated commission from investigating the October 7th attacks.

• They labelled UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) a "terrorist organisation".

• They constantly bomb UN schools and facilities: Over the past 12 months, Israel has bombed UN schools, warehouses, and refugee camps, killing 228 UN employees—the highest number of UN personnel deaths in any single conflict in history.

• They brazenly attack UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon and have injured five UN ‘Blue Helmets’ so far.

When I look at this list which I have just finished writing, I am absolutely baffled by disbelief because I know fine well that if any other country flouted the international order in this manner, it would be brought to its knees faster than you can say ‘Geneva'.

These actions alone should warrant a firm response from the global community, but Israel somehow continues to act with impunity. It’s long past time for the world to actually do something.

but we give a crap about the UN

It might seem like a quick solution to simply expel Israel from the United Nations, especially considering its blatant disregard for the UN’s principles and its ongoing violations of international law. But while incredibly satisfying in the short term, expelling Israel would weaken the core purpose of the UN, which is to maintain dialogue between all nations at all times, no matter how egregious their behaviour.

The UN is not and was never supposed to be a tool for punishment through exclusion. It’s supposed to be a platform where even the worst offenders can be held accountable on the global stage. If we start expelling countries based on misconduct, we risk opening a Pandora’s box where any dodgy member could be next. And then what happens? If those rogue nations don’t have to go back to the UN to be publicly shamed on the world’s stage then they will have nothing to lose and likely just double down on their crimes.

Do we really want a world where problematic states are pushed out of the one and only institution that’s meant to keep them in check?

Participation is key to the UN’s influence and influence is all that the UN has. Keep Israel within the UN so that we in the international community keep the ability to scrutinise and condemn its actions. The key is to apply pressure in meaningful and effective ways instead of just verbally condemning though i.e. through hard sanctions.

speaking of which…

One of the most glaring issues in international politics today is the double standards. When Russia invaded Ukraine a few years ago, the international community could not slap it down fast enough. Sanctions were imposed immediately, purposely targeting the Russian economy, its plethora of oligarchs, and its military capabilities. The international community united in condemning the aggression, cutting Russia off from vital financial systems and markets.

Yet, despite Israel’s ongoing, well-documented genocide and blatant disregard for international law, all we hear are crickets chirping. Where are the sanctions? Where is the global financial and diplomatic backlash? The international community, namely ‘the West’, has turned a blind eye to Israel’s war crimes. In fact, Israel continues to receive military and economic support from many of the same nations that have crippled Russia with sanctions. It's absolutely mind-boggling, sickening and genuinely makes me feel like we're living in some kind of Orwellian dystopia.

Obviously, this hypocrisy is rooted in political and economic alliances, particularly Israel’s close relationship with the United States, which shields it like a delusional mother does her psychotic child from any and all accountability. But this is not sustainable. The international community cannot continue to apply a double standard when it comes to the violation of human rights and international law. If Russia can face sanctions for its actions in Ukraine, why shouldn’t Israel face the same for its, let’s be honest, far worse crimes in Palestine?

so what can the UN do?

As I mentioned earlier, the United Nations is an organisation with very few sharp teeth and the sharp teeth that it does have are currently not being put to use. We should not expel Israel from the United Nations for reasons that I outlined earlier, instead, the international community should focus on imposing severe, targeted sanctions. Israel’s military-industrial complex, which fuels its endless killing, must be crippled, now. This means cutting off all financial and military resources that enable Israel’s war crimes and ensuring that international bodies apply real pressure to force compliance with international law. Looking at the UK and the US here.

from the river to the sea, blue hats there must be

Sanctions alone are not enough, though and we need a physical barrier to protect the Palestinian and Lebanese people from further death. Reinforcing peacekeeping operations is going to be really important. The ultimate goal should be to create a sort of ‘blue hat buffer zone’ that prevents further land grabs and aggression.

The reason I believe this could be so effective is that Israel has historically shown hesitation when it comes to attacking soldiers from friendly Western nations, as opposed to targeting Arabs. This is why a literal human "blue hat" buffer zone could help. Israel would be far more cautious about engaging militarily, which could prevent further violence and land seizures.

Combined with sanctions, this approach would hold Israel accountable while keeping them in the framework of the UN, where diplomatic pressure can still be applied. There needs to be some kind of military intervention to stop this.

contain the Beast and then beat it down to submission with large diplomatic sticks

Israel’s behaviour towards the UN and its ongoing genocide in Palestine are beyond the realm of what we as humanity should consider acceptable in 2024, and it’s high time the international community responds properly—lest it one day happen to us. Expelling Israel from the UN would certainly be satisfying, but I think it misses the point. The UN is there to keep everyone in the room so they can be held accountable by others in the room. Kicking them out just lets them off the hook and gives them free rein to continue this unabashed:

No. We need crippling sanctions. Sanctions that stop Israel in its tracks—disable its war machine, block its funding, and cut off its ability to continue its occupation. At the same time, the UN needs to throw its weight behind peacekeeping reinforcements. Get a wall of blue helmets between Israel and its next land grab, and watch how fast they hesitate when they realise the world is watching.

Sanction them. Reinforce the peacekeepers. And stop playing along with Israel’s victimhood narrative. There was a lot of time before the 7th October.

It’s time for action.

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