In Arnona, Jerusalem, just past the Jerusalem Promenade, we passed a strange building.  It caught my attention as it had a highly protected entrance, serpentine road to prevent a direct attack by a car bomb, and a tank trap!  What is it, and what’s it doing in the midst of a residential Jerusalem neighborhood???

United Nations what??? Truce Supervision Organization?  What the heck is that?  And what’s it doing there?

“On 29 May 1948 , the Security Council, in resolution 50 (1948) , called for a cessation of hostilities in Palestine and decided that the truce should be supervised by the UN Mediator, with the assistance of a group of military observers . The first group of military observers, which has become known as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), arrived in the region in June 1948. In 1949, UNTSO military observers remained to supervise the Armistice Agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors, which were for many years the main basis of the uneasy truce in the whole area.”

Good news!  Like any good government agency, they’re STILL THERE long after their original mandate disappeared (and never having provided any real value anyway).  But never fear, they’re “monitoring” something, somewhere.  And apparently very afraid that some angry Jew is going to attack them (or more likely some angry Arab who might have accidentally been monitored and reported on – never on purpose).

In response the Jews built this right next to the UN facility…

Damn those Jews, being tolerant instead of slaughtering their attackers.  Kind of limits the things to be observed.