76 JUNE 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Forty-three years ago, the United Nations Security Force withdrew as peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula. At a meeting on Aug. 3, 1981, the United States, Egypt, and Israel formed the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) to enforce the peace between Egypt and Israel, employing both military and civilian leaders to support diplomatic solutions to real and potential treaty violations. A small but powerful organization, the MFO is important to U.S. power and influence throughout the region. Spread across Egypt and Israel, with its headquarters in Rome and the support of some 22 nations, MFO now consists of about 1,200 troops contributed by 15 nations and a civilian staff of about 160, drawn from many nations and including local Egyptians and Israelis. For two years, I was fortunate to be one of them. Although I served quite a few years after its formation, I felt the MFO’s presence and history every day of my tour. Upon reflection now, as the IsraelHamas conflict rages, severely testing Egypt-Israel relations and threatening regional security, I can’t help thinking that the MFO has an important role in finding a solution. MFO: Tipping the Scales in Favor of Stability BY JOSEPH ANTHONY D’AGOSTINO III REFLECTIONS Joseph Anthony D’Agostino III served as a legal assistant with the Multinational Force and Observers from 2020 to 2022. Prior to MFO service, he worked for Covington & Burling and held several roles at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He currently serves in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and North Africa region and holds a master’s degree in global diplomacy from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, with a focus on Middle Eastern affairs. b I departed Washington, D.C., on Feb. 15, 2020, for Sinai, Egypt. After a very long flight and a layover in Cairo, I looked out the plane window on the last leg of the trip to the amazing view— endless shades of orange sand, dark red mountain tops, and valleys cut deep into the earth. Once the plane landed in Sharm elSheikh, and the door opened, walking into the desert heat felt like entering a sauna. Ancient Egyptian images covered the walls of the modern airport, and on the drive to camp, I admired the Peace Square sculpture with beautiful, broad dove wings, the symbol of peace. I had arrived at my new home. Sharm has gotten some recognition over the years, for a deadly Islamist terror attack that killed 88 in 2005 and, more recently, for hosting the COP 27 climate change conference in 2022. But the real diplomatic significance of this little city is that it is home to MFO–South Camp. My role was to review and process potential treaty violations between Egypt and Israel, and I was ready to get started, armed with the Treaty of Peace and Protocol as my guide. Each day I learned what it takes to be a peacekeeper and how building relationships—not just between Egypt and Israel, but with my international colleagues—is the key to successful diplomacy. I had never imagined myself discussing strategy over pizza with members of the Fijian Army or performing an observation mission in the Red Sea with the Italian Navy over a cup of coffee. I hadn’t envisioned bonding with Bedouin colleagues in the Sinai desert at a lamb and chicken zarb. The individuals who make up the Force account for its success in maintaining peace between Egypt and Israel for more than four decades. Professional, dedicated, driven, energetic, and hardworking, they are all part of the same mission though their jobs may differ. Each member has their own expertise that helps them succeed and, in turn, accomplish the MFO goal. The Multinational Force and Observers helped build and continues to facilitate a practical relationship between Egyptian and Israeli leaders that has endured.
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