How to stop the killing
Intense efforts through mediation and dialogue have been tried since Oct. 7, 2023.
President Biden and his emissaries, leaders from the region, nations such as Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, the U.K., the EU and its members, the Holy See and many others have thrown their weight behind peace. Such efforts are the only way final peace can be established for the only true peacemakers are always the parties to the conflict. The only secure peace is one widely agreed, respecting the human dignity of all regardless of faith or ethnicity and being a foundation for the Common Good. However, where dialogue and mediation struggle to find a way forward, there exists a framework within the United Nations to deliver space for the necessary agreements to be reached.
When there is a breakdown in international peace and security, the tools to address this are set out in Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Chapter VII empowers the U.N. Security Council to “take such action as may be necessary to maintain or restore international peace and security” and has been used multiple times in the past to end wars. War is never a solution to war, but this sort of international peace action may buy time.
It is therefore imperative that the Security Council now exercise these Chapter VII powers to implement Resolution 2735 on Gaza. This will enforce, as first steps, an immediate, full and complete cease-fire, release of hostages, and oversee the full withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as ensuring delivery of the long overdue massive humanitarian response to end the deplorable physical and psychological suffering of the population. The biggest obstacle to peace is the almost complete absence of mutual confidence, trust and security. The reconstruction of Gaza, to rebuild communities, restore livelihoods and ignite hope, replacing despair, must also follow quickly with a financial commitment on the scale of the Marshall Plan after World War II.
Other measures are necessary, including international guarantees, with believable chances of delivery. In this region, above all, faith groups must be involved in rebuilding trust, which will be a work of generations. The Christian churches have done such work for centuries, and are well positioned to play a major role.
The Security Council must also mobilize its powers and resources in coordination with the Lebanese government to ensure the full implementation of Resolution 1701. There must be an immediate cease-fire, enabling the safe return of those internally displaced in both Israel and Lebanon, with a roadmap for the complete disarming of militias and activation of humanitarian, reconstruction and recovery packages. Moreover, the Security Council must also engage with Iran to ensure that the objectives of the JCPOA are achieved transparently and accountably, ensuring a path to safeguard regional stability enjoying the confidence of all.
Call to action
Seventy-nine years ago, in the aftermath of World War II, learning from the abject failures of the League of Nations, the U.N. Charter established the Security Council, giving it the responsibility and power to maintain and restore international peace and security. The 15 members on that Council today must step up and do their duty. They have already agreed on the resolutions that will deliver peace in the Middle East. Now they must unify and mobilize the political will to implement these resolutions, since failure is a matter of life and death while tens of millions are at risk. Peace begins with a cessation of violence, for only then can the clarity of thinking take place to reimagine the future. The Holy Land can and must become an inspiration for peace instead of war and, in so doing, make peace easier than war for future generations.
