Israel has announced it is banning United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has consistently vilified the Jewish state while refusing to denounce terrorism against it, from entering its country.
Only weeks after the Hamas massacre of more than 1200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, Guterres suggested that Israel was ultimately to blame for the massacre perpetrated by Hamas, stating, “Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians — or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions. I respectfully note the presence among us of members of their families. Excellencies, it is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”
Guterres referred to the “relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces,” claiming there were “clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.”
On Wednesday, Israel Katz, the Foreign Minister of the Jewish state, wrote on X, “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 foot on Israeli soil.”
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“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,” Katz continued. “A Secretary-General who gives backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran—the mothership of global terror—will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres.”
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
One month after the Hamas massacre, Guterres falsely claimed, “We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I have been secretary general.”
Guterres’ false claim — which also ignored the fact that Hamas had blocked Palestinians from escaping Gaza and had used them as human shields — was quickly refuted online, with others pointing out that he was conveniently ignoring facts that might impede the anti-Israel narrative.
“Secretary Guterres took office in 2017, considered to be deadliest year for civilians in Syria, with over 10,000 killed. Although the Yemen War began before Guterres took office, its death toll reached 377,000 in both direct and indirect deaths during his tenure,” community notes on X, formerly known as Twitter, pointed out.
“Syria: 500,000 killed (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 2021) Yemen: 377,000 killed Afghanistan: 176,000 killed Darfur: 300,000 killed Iraq: 400,000 killed Ukraine: 500,000 killed Congo: 860,000+ killed, these are UN figures, just FYI,” writer Hen Mazzig responded.
Oof this community note. https://t.co/C9nTPYTLLV
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) November 21, 2023
Syria: 500,000 killed (Syrian Observatory for Human Right, 2021)
Yemen: 377,000 killed
Afganistan: 176,000 killed
Darfur: 300,000 killed
Iraq: 400,000 killed
Ukraine: 500,000 killed
Congo: 860,000+ killedThese are UN figures, just FYI…
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) November 20, 2023
Others weighed in on the secretary’s false claim:
You are a shameless liar!
These are the figures of the casualties in the Syrian war only since 2017 when you became Secretary-General of the @UN.#GuterresStepDown pic.twitter.com/av1mwHQCJt
— Emrah Erken 🔥🎺 (@AtticusJazz) November 20, 2023
You have been in office since 2017.
Let me remind you of one of many tragic conflicts: the Tigray war in East Africa (2020-2022): 600,000 people died.
— Michal Maayan 🎗🇮🇱 (@MichalMaayan) November 20, 2023
As part of a comprehensive report dealing with the United Nations’ long-term hostility toward the Jewish state — given by Hillel C. Neuer, Executive Director of United Nations Watch, to the U.S. House of Representatives — he noted, “From its creation in June 2006 to June 2023, the Council has adopted zero resolutions on serial human rights abusers such China, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Zimbabwe and Cuba. It adopted 2 condemnatory resolutions on Sudan, 3 on Venezuela, 12 on Eritrea, 14 on Iran, 16 on North Korea, 42 on Syria — and 103 on Israel.”