Extended Commentary—Israel's Relations With the UN: From “Om Shmum” Policy to Proactive Policy

This extended commentary discusses the changes over time in Israel's policy toward the UN from what may be termed an “Om Shmum” policy to a more proactive stance. I look at UN–Israel relations comprehensively and not only through the prism of Israeli–Palestinian or Israeli–Arab relations and analyze the reasons for the deterioration of Israel–UN relations since the 1950s. The main argument points to the change that has taken place over the past two decades in Israel's policy toward the UN that has shifted from neglect to a pro-activist approach through taking part in meeting the UN's global Millennium Development Goals and attempting to influence the General Assembly voting patterns. This study thus aims to enhance understanding of the reasons behind the deterioration in Israel–UN relations and promotes a deeper discussion as regards Israel's attempts to work within the UN, which has received limited scholarly attention.