Israel declared UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres "persona non grata" on Wednesday, banning him from entering the country for his failure to "unequivocally condemn" Iran 's massive missile attack on Israel.
"Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil," Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
"This is a secretary-general who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization," the foreign minister added.
Katz further accused Guterres of being an "anti-Israel secretary-general who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers." Katz added that Guterres, who he claimed supported "the murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran, the mothership of global terror, will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN for generations to come".
In response to Iran's missile attack on Israel late Tuesday, Guterres denounced the "broadening conflict in the Middle East " and criticized the "escalation after escalation" in the region. He pressed on the urgent need for a ceasefire , saying, "This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire."
Israel has been a vocal critic of the UN, with relations between the state and the international organization deteriorating further following the Hamas attacks on October 7.
Guterres has consistently called for a ceasefire to end the violence in both Gaza and Lebanon.
"Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil," Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
"This is a secretary-general who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization," the foreign minister added.
Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country.
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) October 2, 2024
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…
Katz further accused Guterres of being an "anti-Israel secretary-general who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers." Katz added that Guterres, who he claimed supported "the murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran, the mothership of global terror, will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN for generations to come".
In response to Iran's missile attack on Israel late Tuesday, Guterres denounced the "broadening conflict in the Middle East " and criticized the "escalation after escalation" in the region. He pressed on the urgent need for a ceasefire , saying, "This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire."
Israel has been a vocal critic of the UN, with relations between the state and the international organization deteriorating further following the Hamas attacks on October 7.
Guterres has consistently called for a ceasefire to end the violence in both Gaza and Lebanon.
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