Israel declared United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “persona non grata” and barred him from entering the country.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz 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.
“This is an anti-Israel Secretary-General who lends support to terrorists, rapists, and murderers,” he said.
Katz added that Guterres, who he said 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.”
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 need a ceasefire.”
“This must stop. We need a ceasefire,” said Guterres.
Israel has been a harsh critic of the UN, with ties between the state and the international body souring even more after the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Guterres has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to halt the fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.
