Israel declares UN Secretary-General 'persona non grata' and bans his entry into the country

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has just been declared 'persona non grata' by Israel, a country that has also banned his entry. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, who communicated it to the affected person. In the opinion of the Hebrew Government, Guterres has not unequivocally condemned the missile attack launched by Iran this Tuesday. "He does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil," they concluded.

Katz described Guterres as "an anti-Israeli Secretary-General who supports terrorists, rapists, and murderers," categories that include Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemeni Houthis, and Iran, ultimately responsible "for global terror." "He will be remembered as a stain in the history of the UN," he concluded in a statement insisting that "Israel will continue to defend its citizens and national dignity with or without António Guterres."

The Israeli government had already publicly criticized Guterres in the past and, on this occasion, considers the statement issued by the top UN official shortly after the start of the Iranian attack on Israel to be unacceptable. In it, the former Portuguese Prime Minister condemned "the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East," with "one escalation after another." "This has to stop. We urgently need a ceasefire," he noted in a brief statement that did not include specific references to any of the directly involved actors.