Published on November 20, 2024

Ireland and Lebanon, Unlikely Allies in the Midst of War

By Alicia Galarza
Lt. Col. John Durnin (left) with Pte. Paddy Kelly (right) in 1982, southern Lebanon. Image credit: John Durnin
How Ireland became so devoted to UNIFIL and the southern Lebanese claim to security.

On October 1, 2024, Israel invaded southern Lebanon. Since then, Israel has systematically targeted Lebanese territory through military attacks, prior to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah going into effect (which was subsequently violated). Multiple troops have been deployed in southern Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). UNIFIL’s role, as stated by the United Nations after the 1978 Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, is to "confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area." Ireland, perhaps a lesser-known contributor to UNIFIL, has been deploying troops to southern Lebanon since the start of the program in 1978.

The Irish troops have been actively involved in the community they serve. They have supported local initiatives, such as the orphanage that was recently destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, as well as partaking in UNIFIL-based work, building infrastructure and providing medical aid to the community. Former UNIFIL peacekeeper, Tom Clonan, says that the relationship between Ireland and Lebanon in the context of UNIFIL is so "deep rooted" that, in the surrounding areas where the Irish platoons are based, the local Lebanese people speak with "broad Irish accents." Another former UNIFIL peacekeeper, Lt. Col. (retired) John Durnin, explained that the villages in southern Lebanon have different kinds of Irish accents based on which part of Ireland their local company is from.

"If you met a Lebanese villager, you could tell what village he was from based on his accent. If he had a Cork accent, he was from Hadatha, because that’s where the Cork company was based. If he was from Baraachit, they speak with a very strong Athlone accent."

John Durnin, former UNIFIL Platoon & Company Commander and former Deputy Chief Liaison Officer at the UNIFIL HQ in Naqoura, Lebanon, completed five tours as a peacekeeper.

Ireland has become so dedicated to their mission in southern Lebanon that, following the October 1 invasion when Israel requested UNIFIL’s retreat from the region, Ireland’s Defence Forces emphasized their commitment, stating that their troops are "steadfast in their determination and resilience to fulfill the mission." In response to Israel's requisition, UNIFIL stated that the "peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly." 

Ireland’s president, Michael D. Higgins, has shown his contempt for Israel’s demand by stating "Israel is demanding that the entire UNIFIL, operating under UN mandates, walk away." He further said it is both an insult to the United Nations, "the most important global institution to which 193 members are committed," as well as the families of the UNIFIL peacekeepers risking their lives to the mission for which their role was named. President Higgins has also stated that the peacekeepers in Lebanon have been "threatened" by Israel.

Ireland’s Tánaiste (the second highest ranking official in the Irish government), Micheál Martin, stated "We’re part of a UNIFIL peacekeeping mission which involves thousands of troops and many, many countries contributing those troops … We’ve seen in the past in environments where troops were unilaterally pulled out, the consequences were terrible," going on to say that the international community needs to be united to bring peace to the Middle East. Barry Andrews, a Fianna Fáil member of the European Parliament calls back to times in history when U.N. peacekeepers were told to retreat and chaos and devastation ensued, citing the withdrawal of troops in Rwanda and Srebrenica as "foreshadow[ing] some of the darkest chapters in the history of the late 20th century." These statements have reinforced Ireland's overall stance that Ireland will not leave Lebanon.

This all raises the question: How did Ireland become so invested in the security of southern Lebanon?

Ireland has always been involved in funding humanitarian projects, with a 65% increase in humanitarian investment in the years since 2019, resulting in €295 million being spent by Ireland on humanitarian aid in 2022. Similarly, Ireland has sent troops to multiple global conflicts since 1958. In terms of UNIFIL, an interview in 1978 with an Irish battalion commandant revealed that contrary to when they were deployed, they thought that when they first went to Lebanon, they would be "fac[ing] north," insinuating that it was the Palestinian forces to the north that were their main security concern. 

In the end, he said "we find ourselves facing south," insinuating the ultimate shift of security concern from the Palestinian forces to the Israeli forces. Though, this definition of who the enemy was in terms of who was the aggressor, differed from public opinion at the time in Ireland; the public was "overwhelmingly pro-Israeli," though, public support has significantly shifted towards Palestine since the 1970s.

The opinions of the peacekeepers themselves were shaped by their direct experience with the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). In a personal interview with Lt. Col. (retired) John Durnin, he spoke of his own experience in Lebanon and how his opinion shifted. When he was deployed in 1982, Durnin and his fellow soldiers felt sympathy for Israel, as they were a vulnerable outlier in an Arab region, with a population "not much larger than Ireland’s," and no allies in the region. 

@barryandrewsmep My speech in the European Parliament regarding UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces have requested that they leave their positions but what we know from history is that when UN peacekeepers withdraw - atrocities can occur. The Israeli Defence Forces have shown very little regard for international law to date. I have visited the UNIFIL mission and met with Irish troops in south Lebanon in 2022 and seen firsthand the regard with which they are held by the people there. We must allow the peacekeepers to continue to be the eyes and ears of the world and play a part in the diplomatic resolution of this conflict. #lebanon #un #unifil ♬ original sound - BarryAndrewsMEP

*A speech given by Barry Andrews, a member of the "Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party," at the European Parliament.

He emphasized that even with their sympathy, their goal was to remain impartial. However, when they arrived in Lebanon, their perspectives were "shaken" after seeing how "the Israelis treated Arabs who were under their control," whether that be in Lebanon or Israel. Any impartiality they had could not discredit the "ruthlessness" they saw. Durnin recounted some of the Israeli methods he saw, including "reconnaissance by fire" and "wanton destruction of homes and infrastructure" that left "little or no allowance for innocent civilians."

Ireland has another possible reason for feeling so strongly in their current anti-Israeli stance. Durnin stated he believes "the Irish psyche naturally sympathises with the underdog in any conflict situation," which could stem from their own history with colonialism. Ireland had long suffered under Great Britain's colonial rule. From stealing their land to facilitating the famine through exploitation and refusing foreign aid (whose amount was greater than the Queen’s), Great Britain had cultivated an Irish suffering lasting centuries long. Ireland’s memory of its suffering under colonial rule has "predisposed it to back the underdog," a phrase used by Durnin, and by both Irish diplomats and analysts. This means they are anti-colonialists and are inclined to support those suffering from threats of modern-day colonialism. 

To understand the entirety of the context of Ireland’s pursuit for peace, it would be prudent to look at a current example of modern colonization that is, to Ireland, reminiscent of their time under British colonial rule: the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This direct threat to Palestinian security and independence has led to Ireland being one of the 14 out of the 27 countries in the EU to recognize and support the Palestinian effort for self-determination and independence. The continuous annexation of Palestine by Israel goes against the U.N. Partition Plan of 1947, therefore going against international law. 

The lack of repercussions faced by Israel could be a motivator for Israel to once again go against a U.N. mandate and annex southern Lebanon. The consistent limitations placed on Palestinians under Israeli annexation are recognized by the Irish public, with 71% of people in Ireland saying that Palestinians live under an apartheid system. In relation to public perception, it is here that retired Lt. Col. Durnin states, given the number of Irish soldiers having served in Lebanon, with over 30,000 Irish soldiers having served in UNIFIL, "it is highly likely that their experiences would have an influence on the attitude of the Irish people as a whole as to what is going on in the Middle East."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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This recognition, whether by the government or the public, of annexation, colonization, and oppression within Palestine can raise levels of concern within Ireland of Lebanon’s future, a future where southern Lebanon is under Israel's rule and settlements are built, especially with Israel’s past occupation of southern Lebanon and their persistent military attacks since October acting as warning signs. 

These attacks mirror the attacks in Gaza within the last year, with civilians being told to flee, only for the IDF to intensify "air operations followed by ground attacks." This similarity provides another level of legitimacy to any concerns about the threat Israel poses to Lebanon and both its independence and security. To reiterate, the entire reason UNIFIL is in Lebanon is "to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area." 

Ireland has pledged their soldiers to UNIFIL since its creation and has blatantly stated that they will not leave, partly out of persistence in preventing the repetition of catastrophic events in history when U.N. peacekeepers have left. The current military efforts of Israel to expand their control to southern Lebanon further wedges the gap between the respective Irish and Israeli governments, and garner more devotion to protecting Lebanon.

In the eyes of the soldiers themselves, Durnin states that over their decades-long service in Lebanon, they have "developed a relationship with the local population, to the extent that many of them speak English with Irish accents," going on to say that "naturally, we strive to do our best to protect them." 

While it is the job of UNIFIL soldiers to remain impartial, as Durnin reiterated to me multiple times, it is important to remember that UNIFIL is striving to maintain the integrity of international law and security, but, is also made up of individuals who witness the ruthlessness of the IDF and have developed a relationship with the local community around them. These factors lead to the overwhelming message that UNIFIL is to stay in southern Lebanon until their mission is done.

In the accumulation of their knowledge of Israeli military tactics and how they favor giving false information, even with the lives of Lebanese civilians at stake, Ireland knows the danger that Israel poses to the Levant and how detrimental their colonization will be on the region. Ireland recognizes the signs of an oppressive colonial state because they once lived under one. 

The story of the struggle for independence and security isn’t only found in one part of the world, but many. It is this suffering and imposition of foreign powers that leave room for alliances to form. In culmination with Ireland’s genuine pursuit of peace and security in the Middle East, it is here that the Levant has found an ally in Ireland, one that is willing to speak up for independence.

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