Israel declares UN Chief persona non-grata, ban him from entering the country

On Wednesday (2nd October 2024), Israel declared UN Chief Antonio Guterres as ‘persona non-grata’ and barred him from entering the country, Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on X. He blamed the UN Chief for not “unequivocally condemning” Iran’s attack on Israel and dubbed him a “stain” on the UN.

Taking to X, the Israeli Minister wrote, “Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country.”

Explaining the rationale behind such a decision, Katz added, “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.”

He blamed UN Chief Antonio Guterres saying, “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.”

“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,” the Israeli Minster added. 

He concluded by asserting that Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres.

The development comes a day after Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israel when the latter is engaged in an intense military conflict against terror groups, Hamas and Hezbollah. Both the Islamic terror groups are said to be the proxy of Iran. 

Iran declared that the missiles were in response to the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard’s General Abbas Nilforushan. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was taken out in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July. Tehran warned that this attack represented only a first wave.

In a stern warning to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the latter committed a “big mistake” by attacking Tel Aviv and vowed to retaliate against Iran. “Iran made a big mistake tonight and will pay for it, whoever attacks us, we will attack them,” the PM said hours after missiles were launched towards the Jewish nation.