Given the current crisis between Israel and Gaza, I thought this might be a good time to post the story below.  I've been meaning to for some time, not only because it's an interesting tale, but also because it gives an insider's perspective on "neutral observers."  Although it has nothing to do with Gaza itself, it does reveal some historical context that may be welcome to those interested in international law and politics.

My grandfather (really my stepfather's dad) joined the UN on New Years Day 1948 (61 years ago today), and retired in 1978 from his final positions as Director of the General Legal Division and Deputy to the Legal Counsel (positions which, today, are on the Under Secretary level).  He saw many things during his tenure, and contributed greatly to the establishment of many treaties and resolutions.  In 2005, he published a limited run (essentially for family and friends) of a short book entitled "United Nations Memories," which included among other things a two page "name dropping" section of people he'd met and worked with (George H.W. Bush, Roy Cohn, Jimmy Carter, etc.).  It also included the following story.

(NOTE: Having spent several hours transcribing everything below from one of my copies of Grandpa's book, I now realize that I should simply have scanned the pages themselves, and saved myself the aching wrists.)