WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation released the following statement today from Professor Eugene Kontorovich, senior research fellow at Heritage, applauding the Trump administration's work to end the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL):
“UNIFIL became the UNRWA of Lebanon, serving as human shields for a terror group out of cowardice, laziness, and in some cases, hostility to Israel. The U.N. is packed with failed and wasteful entities, financially supported by American taxpayers but double-insulated against accountability.
“But peacekeeping missions are different because the U.S. can singlehandedly close them—and there is a lot of work to do on that score. We look forward to supporting Secretary Rubio and Ambassador-designate Mike Waltz on bringing American money home.”
UNIFIL will end thanks to a resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council, declaring that 2026 will be the last year of the peacekeeping mission. Heritage has been at the forefront of calls to terminate UNIFIL for years.
UNIFIL embodies the failures and corruption of the United Nations at large, and its cancellation after 48 years is a strong signal that President Donald J. Trump is serious about U.N. reform and will not simply keep sending taxpayer checks to globalist institutions.
UNIFIL was created in 1978 to oversee a long-forgotten ceasefire in Lebanon’s lengthy history of conflict. In 2005, it was given the job of disarming the Hezbollah terror group, yet sat back while the Iranian proxy amassed hundreds of thousands of missiles.
It did not prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel after the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023—indeed, Hezbollah built its positions next to and around UNIFIL posts. While ignoring its real job, UNIFIL organized lectures on woke gender ideology. America was the largest donor to this boondoggle, spending a staggering $150 million a year.
For too long, American leadership has sent checks to corrupt, obsolete, or anti-American U.N. organizations with little or no scrutiny. Peacekeeping missions are a particular source of waste and abuse, with U.S. taxpayers literally paying foreign soldiers’ salaries, and often no peace being kept.
Just as Heritage vigorously advocated for this action against UNIFIL, it will seek fundamental reviews of the ongoing wisdom of missions in Morocco (MINURSO), Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Israel (UNTSO), and elsewhere.
There is no room for complacency. UNIFIL has not yet shut down, and in the 16 months until it does, European countries will do everything they can to persuade the Trump administration to change its mind and continue to underwrite French and Chinese troops just a little bit longer.
Heritage is glad to see that President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio understand that inertia and business as usual are the U.N.’s modus operandi, and Heritage urges America’s leaders to be vigilant against last-minute mission creep.
