An Exploratory Examination of Israeli Perspectives on the United
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Running Head: LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION i Looking Northward: An Exploratory Examination of Israeli Perspectives on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), 1978-2017 By Ran Ukashi A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Peace and Conflict Studies University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB Copyright © 2019 by Ran Ukashi ii LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION Table of Contents Acknowledgements.……………………………………………………………... VI Abstract………………………………………………………………………….. VIII Dedication …………………………………………………………………….. IX Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 10 Significance of the Study……………………………………………… 13 Outline of the Thesis…………………………………………………... 14 Conclusion…………………………………………………………….. 16 CHAPTER 1: Reviewing the Relevant Literature ….……………………….. 17 1.1 - Introduction…………………………………………..………….. 17 1.2 - The Origins and Evolution of UN Peacekeeping and Peace 18 Support Operations……………………………………………...…….. 1.3 - The Principles and Practices of “First-Generation” UN 21 PKOs…………………………………………………………………… 1.4 - “Second-Generation” PKOs in the Post-Cold War Era………… 22 1.5 - Peacebuilding Theory and Practice in the Post-Cold War Era…. 23 1.6 - The Formation and Deployment of UN PKOs………………….. 28 1.7 - When and Why PKOs are Deployed……………………………. 30 1.8 - What Can Be Done?: Doctrinal Challenges for UN PSOs…….. 33 1.9 - The Theory and Practice of Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) 37 1.10 - Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in UN PSOs………………….. 40 1.11 - Bureaucratization and Technical Support of UN PSOs……….. 42 1.12 - The New and (Not So) Improved PSO Model…………………. 43 1.13 - External Challenges for PSOs: Spoiler Agents………………… 47 1.14 - Internal Challenges for PSOs…………………………………... 52 1.15 - Is it Working? Assessing UN PSO Performance………………. 54 1.16 - Conclusion……………………………………………………... 60 CHAPTER 2: Setting the Context……………………………………………... 61 2.1 - Introduction………………………………………………………. 61 2.2 - Setting the Context: A Brief History of Lebanon and its 62 Discontent……………………………………………………………... 2.3 - Unmet Needs, Bad Neighbours, and the Rise of Hizballah……. 65 2.4 - The Birth of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon: The 73 First Iteration……………………….…………………………………. 2.5 - Conflict “Ripeness”……………………………………………..... 80 2.6 - Disparate Military Cultures and their Effect on UNIFIL………. 81 2.7 - UNIFIL on the Ground…………………………………………… 87 2.8 - Conclusion……………………………………………………… 95 CHAPTER 3: UN Reporting on UNIFIL to the UNSC………………………... 97 3.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………….. 97 3.2 - Secretary-General Reports to the UNSC on UNIFIL’s 98 Performance, 1998-2000……………………………………………… 3.3 - Conclusion…………………………………………..…………… 117 CHAPTER 4: UN Reporting on UNIFIL, 2001-2006…………………………. 119 4.1 – Introduction……………………………………………………… 119 iii LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION 4.2 – Secretary-General Reports to the UNSC on UNIFIL’s 119 Performance, 2001-2006……………………………………………… 4.2.1 – Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL, 2002-2003….. 122 4.2.2 – Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL, 2004-2005…... 127 4.2.3 – Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL, 2005-2006….. 130 4.3 Conclusion………………………………………………………… 139 CHAPTER 5: The Israel-Hizballah War & its Consequences………………… 140 5.1 - Introduction………………………………………………………. 140 5.2 - Outbreak of the 2006 Israel-Hizballah War……………………... 140 5.3 - Responding to the 2006 Israel-Hizballah War: The Birth of 146 “UNIFIL II”…………………………………………………………… 5.4 - Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL II, 2007-2008………….. 151 5.4.1 – Limited Security Regimes……………………………. 153 5.5 - Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL II, 2007-2008………….. 155 5.6 - Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL II, 2009-2010………….. 161 5.7 - Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL II, 2011-2015………….. 159 5.8 - Secretary-General Reports on UNIFIL II, 2016-2017………….. 178 5.9 - Conclusion……………………………………………………… 181 CHAPTER 6: Reality and the Challenges of UN PSO 183 Doctrines……………………………………………………………………… 6.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………….. 183 6.2 - Assessing UNIFIL’s Mandate Against its Capabilities………… 183 6.3 - UNIFIL’s Credibility Gap……………………………………… 188 6.4 - The Failure of UN PSO Doctrine………………………………. 190 6.5 - Conclusion……………………………………………………… 194 CHAPTER 7: Methodological Approaches and Framework…………………. 196 7.1 - Introduction……………………………………………………... 196 7.2 - Methodological Approach: Systematic Grounded Theory 196 (SGT)…………………………………………………..……………… 7.3 - Employing Grounded Theory (GT)…………………………….. 198 7.3.1 - Open Coding………………………………………….. 202 7.3.2 - Axial Coding………………………………………….. 204 7.3.3 - Selective Coding……………………………………… 204 7.4 - Special Considerations and Risk Mitigation……………………. 206 7.4.1 - Utility of SGT in Answering the Central Research 206 Question…………………………………………………….…. 7.5 - Semi-Structured Interviews in an SGT Framework…………….. 207 7.6 - Interviewing Elites: Methodological Considerations..………….. 208 7.7 - Triangulation…………………………………………………..… 210 7.8 - Research Design, Implementation and Significance..………….… 211 7.9 - Candidate Recruitment…………………………………………. 213 7.10 - Candidate Profiles……………………………………….……. 217 7.11 - Ethical Considerations…………………………………….….. 217 7.12 - Preliminary Research Questions………………………………. 218 7.13 - Illustrating the Coding Process…………………………….….. 220 7.14 - Conclusion………………………………………………….…. 222 iv LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION CHAPTER 8: Israeli Perspectives on UNIFIL, 1978-2017……….…………. 224 8.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………….. 224 8.2 - Israeli Perceptions of UNIFIL’s Role………………………….. 224 8.3 - Civilizational-oriented Perspectives on the UN and UNIFIL… 232 8.4 - Findings………………………………………………………… 248 8.5 - Conclusion……………………………………………………… 256 CHAPTER 9: Perceptions of (In)Security and Isolation………….…………. 258 9.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………….. 258 9.2 - Political Bias, Israeli Perceptions of Security, and UNIFIL’s 258 Contribution…………………………………………………………… 9.2.1 - Perceiving the UN and UN PSOs as Futile (but Useful) 266 9.2.2 - Hizballah, Iran, and Syria (not Lebanon) are the 278 Operative Threats to Israel…………….……………….……. 9.2.3 - Considerations Regarding IDF-UNIFIL Relations…... 283 9.3 - Findings………………………………………………………… 292 9.4 - Conclusion……………………………………………………… 301 CHAPTER 10: The Subjective Impact of the Conflict in Israel’s North……. 303 10.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………… 303 10.2 - Measured Expectations of UNIFIL’s Performance…………… 304 10.3 - Findings……………………………………………………….. 342 10.4 - Conclusion………..……………………………………………. 350 CHAPTER 11: Conclusions………………..………………………………… 352 11.1 - Introduction…………………………………………………… 352 11.2 - Overall Key Findings…………………………………………. 352 11.3 - Discussion……...……..………………………………………. 356 11.3.1 - UN-UNIFIL Synonymization………………………. 356 11.3.2 - UNIFIL’s Utility as a Function of Personal Experience 360 11.3.3 - Participant Perceptions of International Besiegement. 363 11.3.4 - The Conflict Between Israel and Hizballah is 365 “Civilizational”………………………………………………... 11.3.5 - Hizballah, Iran, and Syria are the enemy. Lebanon is 367 Not……………………………………………………………… 11.3.6 - Conflict is “Normal” and “Inevitable” in Israel………. 368 11.3.7 - The IDF is Israel’s Best Guarantor for Security in the 369 North…………………………………………………………... 11.3.8 - Participant Perspectives on the “Best Case Scenario” for 371 Northern Israel…………………………………………….. 11.3.9 - Self-Reinforcing Perspectives on UNIFIL………….. 372 11.3.10 - Israel’s ‘Chronic Security Condition’ (CSC)……… 373 11.3.11 - Social Reality and Israeli Perspectives on UNIFIL…. 376 11.3.12 - Social Reality and Israeli Perspectives of the UN…. 380 11.4 - Limitations…………………………………………………….. 383 11.5 - Future Research……………………………………………….. 384 11.6 - Conclusion…………………………………………………….. 386 References…………………………………………………………………….. 388 Appendices……………………………………………………………………. 406 v LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION Appendix 1: Invitation to Participate in Study….…………………….. 406 Appendix 2: Participant Consent Form..………………………………. 408 Appendix 3: Participant Questionnaire……...………………………… 412 Appendix 4: Semi-structured Interview Guide………………………… 414 Appendix 5: Participant Feedback Form…………..…………………... 416 vi LOOKING NORTHWARD EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION Acknowledgements I wish to thank my family and friends for their kind and generous support throughout my doctoral program. None of this would not have been possible without their understanding, love, support, and sacrifice. I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Sean Byrne, for his guidance, patience, and selflessness throughout my academic career, both in my undergraduate, and certainly over the course of my doctoral studies. I would also like to offer a gracious thank you to Dr. Tami Jacoby who has been a mentor to me, and to whom I credit with helping me spark my interest and curiosity in Middle East affairs, and encouraged me to pursue postgraduate studies years ago. My gratitude extends to Dr. Jessica Senehi whose time, effort, and assistance over the years has been immeasurable in helping me approach my research endeavours in a rigorous and thoughtful fashion. A word of thanks is also reserved for all of the selfless instructors and staff I have had the honour of learning from over the years, both during my doctoral program, and in years prior. Taken together, I am indebted to them all for providing me with the skills, patience, and wherewithal to undertake a research study on a subject of which I am passionate. Finally, I wish to thank all of the participants who graciously committed their time and shared their personal—and often difficult—stories