The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is up for a renewal of its mandate in the United Nations Security Council this August. The United States should oppose renewal and end a costly 47-year program with a price tag of over $12 billion, a quarter of which has been borne by the U.S. taxpayer. Here’s why.
In 1978, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) orchestrated the Coastal Road Massacre terrorist attack that killed 38 Israelis, including 13 children. Until the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on the Nova music festival, this was Israel’s worst terrorist attack. Israel, then in the midst of peace negotiations with Egypt, invaded Lebanon to uproot the Palestinian terrorists and prevent future attacks. In response, the U.N. Security Council created UNIFIL “for the purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restoring international peace and security and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.” To date, that has not occurred.
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