Katz stands firm on Guterres ban despite widespread support for UN chief
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says his decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “persona non grata” won’t change despite opposition from more than 100 UN member states.
In a joint letter, 104 nations said Guterres had their “full support and confidence” and that Katz’s decision harmed the UN’s “ability to carry out its mandate” and “could further delay an end to all hostilities and the establishment of a credible path towards the two-state solution”.
The statement had little effect on the Israeli top diplomat who said on X that Guterres had failed to “condemn the Iranian missile fire on Israel” and cited what he called the UN chief’s “anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli behavior”.
On October 1, Iran launched 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of prominent figures close to Tehran, including Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah. Shortly after the attack, Guterres condemned the escalation of violence in the region but made no mention of Iran.
“Guterres can continue to try to collect signatures in support of him from members of the UN – the decision will not be changed,” Katz said.
He already condemned Iran back in April
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148546
Indeed did not mention Iran specifically on Oct 1st
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155231
He did the next day, but whatever. Israel doesn't like people who state the truth, any flimsy excuse will do to pull out the anti-semitism card.
The UN should revoke Israel's permanent seat at the UN, make them an observer like North Korea. Attacking, running a smear campaign and ousting UNWRA, attacking UNIFIL, barring UN members from entry, hampering UN aid agencies from doing their job, barring UN investigations.
But you need the security council for that
Article 6 of the Charter reads as follows: "A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council."
And with US veto in play, no chance.
Kuwait condemns Israel’s attacks on UN peacekeepers
In a statement, the country’s foreign ministry calls Israel’s attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and relevant Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution 1701”.
Over the last three days, the Israeli army has fired on UNIFIL positions and wounded its personnel a number of times, drawing widespread international condemnation.
“The Ministry stresses the importance of preserving the security and safety of United Nations personnel and employees and respecting the sanctity of its premises, expressing its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured, and stressing the need for serious action to identify those responsible for these violations and ensure that they do not escape accountability”, Kuwait’s statement reads, calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Qatar condemns Israel’s seizure of UNRWA HQ in occupied East Jerusalem
“The State of Qatar strongly condemned the Israeli occupation’s seizure of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem”, reads a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Two days ago, Israel announced the seizure of the land as well as plans to build an illegal settlement on it.
Israel’s “efforts to dismantle UNRWA are a link in a chain of reprehensible targeting of the United Nations itself”, Qatar’s statement continued.
The EU also recently condemned Israel for its attacks on the UN agency, saying it is “gravely concerned” about draft legislation that would ban UNRWA from operating in Israel and likely scale back aid distribution across war-ravaged Gaza.
