Israel Alone

Inconsistency imperils collective self-defence

(Hamas terrorists prepare to execute seven men in Gaza City)

One week ago, we marked the 80^th anniversary of the coming into force of the UN Charter, a foundational document for postwar peace.

Under the Charter, five permanent members of the Security Council, along with ten elected members, are meant to uphold international peace and security. Yet as our essay noted, a wily future US secretary of state, foreseeing Soviet intransigence, added the inherent right to self-defence as a kind of insurance policy.

It justified action in Korea, Iraq in 1990-91, after 9/11, and in Ukraine.

Yet one beleaguered state has never benefited from this principle.

Israel has faced conventional war or terrorism (or both) in every decade since 1948. Yet collective self-defence has never been invoked on Israel’s behalf.

Let’s recall the basic history.

At the very moment of its proclamation as a state in 1948, Israel was attacked by Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.