Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has announced a prohibition on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres from entering the country, citing his failure to unequivocally condemn Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel.
Katz declared Guterres “undesirable” and accused him of not doing enough to criticize Iran and its allies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
The move comes after Iran launched missile strikes on Israel in retaliation for the targeted killings of top leaders from Hezbollah, Hamas, and the IRGC. Guterres responded by calling for an immediate ceasefire, but Israel deemed his statement unsatisfactory.
This isn’t the first time Israel has clashed with the UN. Several UN officials, including Francesca Albanese and the head of the UN’s humanitarian office in the occupied Palestinian territories, have been banned from entering the country in recent months. Israel has also criticized the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.
Critics argue that Israel’s actions are counterproductive and damage its international reputation. Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, questioned the move, saying “How is this good for Israel’s long-term security?”.
It’s worth noting that it’s unclear if Katz has the authority to enforce this prohibition, as this power typically lies with Israel’s interior minister.
