Israel’s foreign minister has declared United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “persona non grata” and barred him from entering the country.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday accused Guterres of failing to “unequivocally” condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel. Israel has persistently complained over the UN’s approach throughout its yearlong war in Gaza.
“Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil,” Katz wrote on X.
Warming to his theme, the official accused the UN chief of giving his “backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers” and branded him “a stain on the history of the UN”.
Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country.
Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) October 2, 2024
The attack came in response to Guterres’s statement regarding Iran’s missile barrage.
Shortly after the attack, Guterres condemned the escalation of violence in the region but made no mention of Iran.
The UN chief wrote on Tuesday evening: “I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.”
I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation.
This must stop.
We absolutely need a ceasefire.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 1, 2024
Asked about the move at a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said: “Steps like these are not productive to (Israel) improving its standing in the world.”
“The UN does incredibly important work in Gaza. It does incredibly important work in the region. And the UN, when it’s acting at its best, can play an important role for security and stability,” Miller added.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described the announcement as political and “just one more attack, so to speak, on UN staff that we’ve seen from the government of Israel.” He said the UN traditionally does not recognise the concept of persona non grata as applying to UN staff.
At an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Guterres said: “As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April – and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed – I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.”
Sour relations
Israel has long been at loggerheads with the UN and many other international organisations. However, relations between the state and the international body have hit a new low since Israel launched its relentless war in Gaza, which followed attacks on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7.
Katz claimed in his post that the UN chief had failed to condemn “the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7” and of supporting “Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran”, which he called “the mothership of global terror”.
As the war spilled over into Lebanon late last month and Israel switched its main focus to Hezbollah, Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed” by the escalating situation and “the large number of civilian casualties”.
Following Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last Friday, Guterres demanded all sides “step back from the brink”, saying the region could not afford “an all-out war”.
“Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without Antonio Guterres,” said Katz.
