Hand Gaza to the United Nations

An international administration of the territory is the least-bad solution.

By
74
A U.N. Security Council meeting on the conflict in Middle East at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on October 24, 2023. (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

As Israel’s ground war in Gaza looms, what might lay at the other end of the fog of war? What political conditions can establish lasting peace after the shooting stops? 

That is the question the United States failed to answer after Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. tried military occupation followed by democratization in Iraq. It avoided an occupation in Afghanistan, instead handing over power immediately to an interim government.

But what the U.S. didn’t try in either case was state building—with dire results. A failed Iraqi state may have held elections, but they empowered incompetent sectarians and the country later devolved into civil war. A new elected government may have formed in Kabul, but a power vacuum nevertheless developed in the Afghan countryside which the Taliban easily filled.

If Israeli officials have envisioned an end to their war against Hamas, other than the terrorist group’s destruction, they haven’t shared it. The relevant question now is: Who will govern Gaza, and how? 

You're out of free articles
Create an account to unlock 1 more articles
By signing up with your email, you agree to The Dispatch’s privacy policy and terms and conditions
Already have an account? Sign In
74
By
Comments (74)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Hartzlk

    "If the goal is nation building, then the international community must frankly embrace it. The United States failed in Iraq and Afghanistan because it shied away from that effort."
    I thought the US spent lots of money on state building in Afghanistan. Clearly it didn't work, but that's not the same thing as shying away from something. I have very little knowledge of US actions in Afghanistan, and I am sure the author has way more knowledge than me on the topic. That being the case, this passing remark just goes completely over my head.

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    Mjalderman76

    You should leave parody to the Onion and the Babylon Bee.

    Collapse
    1. True Northerner

      Indeed. His is a completely unserious proposal.

      Collapse
  3. Ricardo Denis

    UN administration of Gaza has a name. Chaos.

    Collapse
  4. Chris.Schwieg

    A proposal with merits but let's stop with the 1947 silliness

    Collapse
  5. Avatar photo
    Michael Berkowitz

    I would think that the UN would turn a blind eye to the reconstruction of a terror infrastructure and the construction of rockets, as it has in South Lebanon, and then when rockets are fired on Israel the UN staff will effectively serve as human shields, preventing an Israeli response.

    Collapse
  6. Avatar photo
    Juan J

    Why don’t the Arab nations take on the role of mandatary? Is it that they can’t be trusted? Or is it because they only like stirring the pot and not actually helping their Arab brothers.

    The Saudis and the Gulf states are the most useless bunch.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      Juan J

      I forgot to add to the list of useless Arab nations: Egypt, and to a lesser degree, Jordan.

      Gaza should be part of Egypt and the West Bank part of Jordan. The main argument against this idea, other than the stubborn Palestinian nationalism, is that Egypt and Jordan would end up suffering Israeli consequences for terrorist activities originating from the former Gaza and West Bank territories.

      Collapse
      1. Nevertime

        The main argument against this idea is that Gaza, Judea and Samaria are parts of Israel. Giving parts of Israeli to Arab terrorists or the countries whose governments started this mess will not result in justice or peace.

        Collapse
        1. Avatar photo
          Juan J

          So what do you see as the least bad option? Formally make Gaza and the West Bank part of Israel? Claim the land and expel the inhabitants?Maintain the status quo? Pray the UN would be foolish enough to act as a mandatary? Let a large scale war to erupt and hope that when the smoke clears and collateral damage takes its toll the victor can claim all the land and then build a defensive wall around its newly claimed land.

          Collapse
          1. Nevertime

            The only way this ends is when the surrounding Arab countries stop waging direct or indirect war on Israel. That means they take their people back instead of leaving them to fester and hate Israel. Those people are directly from or descend from Arab countries. That is where they should go. The entire idea of "Palestinian" statehood is a fiction that is used to legitimize war on Israel and Jews internationally.

            Collapse
  7. Nojives55

    Had to double-check to see if this was The Washington Post page. Nope.

    Collapse
  8. Gry.Solingen

    what might *lie

    Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    Dave Casper

    Who (besides Iran) would be willing to send their soldiers into the cesspool that Hamas has created?

    This is the original, 75-years-and-counting, "forever war", and the idea of 2 million Palestinians without tens of thousands of violent extremists operating in their midst (whether they call themselves Hamas or something else) is a pipe dream.

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    Todd T

    Why do I always get the UN mixed up with the Rescue Aid Society?

    Collapse
Load More