**Israel Bans UN Secretary-Gen
On October 2, 2024, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced a ban on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering Israel. The decision, made public through Katz’s post on X (formerly Twitter), comes after Guterres failed to condemn a missile attack on Israel, allegedly carried out by Iran.
The attack, which reportedly targeted Israel in retaliation for the deaths of key figures such as Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah; Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas; and Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was not explicitly denounced by Guterres. This omission triggered the Israeli government’s strong response.
In his statement, Katz said, “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel, as nearly every other country has, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil.” Katz also criticized Guterres for not condemning the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, which involved massacres and sexual violence, nor for pushing to label Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Katz further described Guterres’ stance as sympathetic to terrorists, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, which he referred to as the “mother ship of global terrorism.”
Israel remains firm in its position, with Katz emphasizing that the country will continue to defend its citizens and national honor, regardless of the stance taken by international figures like Guterres.
