Jonathan Conricus, who is a Major in the Israeli Defense Force, is the first Israeli to hold a position at the United Nation’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Conricus has been serving quietly since November 2014 and has even received a service medal at the UN in June, 2015. His position at the UN consists in gathering information for UN forces while also doing risk evaluations of certain locations as an evaluation officer. The area he is currently operating in is at the heart of the MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo) overlooking the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also exercises this position in northern Nigeria in the conflict against Boko Haram, Somalia against al-Shabaab, as well as in Ukraine where the pro-Russian separatists are fighting the people of Kiev. In regards to Conricus’s service at the UNDPKO, Danny Danon, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN has said: “We are very proud of the Israeli representatives at UN institutions. Despite attempts by anti-Israel elements to boycott Israel, its citizens continue to show Israel’s true face to the world and to contribute to the international community in a wide range of areas – technology for protecting peacekeeping troops, professional consultation on legal matters, and major healthcare aid are only part of Israel’s assistance for the UN’s humanitarian purposes. We are working to integrate more Israelis into the UN, and I call on more Israelis to join the campaign and become true ambassadors of Israel”. Israel and the United Nations have a deep and complex history – it will be interesting to see where their relationship is headed going into the future.
Paul Grossmann
Sources
“The First Israeli at the UN’s Peacekeeping Department” 19 Mar. 2016 [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4780475,00.html]
“Discover the Major Conricus, the First IDF Officer in a Position at the UN” 21 Mar. 2016 [http://lphinfo.com/2016/03/21/decouvrez-le-major-conricus-le-premier-officier-de-tsahal-a-occuper-un-poste-a-lonu/]
UN, “Maj. Jonathan Conricus Is the 1st @UNPeacekeeping Israeli Officer. This Week He Received a Service Medal at the UN: Pic.twitter.com/mExx6HaYvi” 08 2015 [https://twitter.com/israelinun/status/608028412167487489]
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