US Threatens to Shut Down UN Peacekeepers In Lebanon

The UN Security Council is preparing to debate the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, which Israel is pushing heavily to weaken in the name of reforms.That’s what Israel wants, so that’s what the US is pushing.

Indeed, the US is demanding all these reforms, and is threatening to revoke the mandate if they don’t get what they want. The reforms are aimed at weakening Hezbollah, officials claim.

The reforms include reducing the size of UNIFIL, allowing them to move their forces around with few restrictions, in hopes of getting into more confrontations with Hezbollah. Israel says Hezbollah’s co-existence with UNIFIL is “unacceptable.”

The UN peacekeepers are meant to keep peace between the Lebanese and Israeli border, and not to pick fights with Israel’s enemies. Still, that’s going to be something the US needs to work out at the UN if they’re going to avoid banning them outright.