Israel’s Foreign Minister: Guterres does not deserve UN leadership
Published: Tuesday, Nov 14th 2023, 21:00
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres has once again been sharply attacked by Israel for his role in the Gaza war. "Guterres does not deserve to be head of the UN", said Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Geneva on Tuesday. The 74-year-old had not taken a decisive enough stance against the terror of Hamas. "Guterres, like all free nations, should say clearly and loudly: "Liberate Gaza from Hamas", Cohen continued.
Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not comment directly when asked, but said: "The Secretary-General is continuing his work with iron nerves, calm, focused and on the basis of the principles of the Charter of International Humanitarian Law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Israel has been furious with the UN chief since Guterres' comments at the end of October. Although Guterres had condemned the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, he also said that it had not taken place "in a vacuum". In this context, Guterres spoke of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan then spoke of a "pure blood libel" by Guterres and demanded his resignation. Cohen, who was present in New York at the time, canceled a meeting with the Secretary-General.
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