Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, banned United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres from entering the country due to concerns the global diplomat failed to specifically condemn a Tuesday missile incursion by the regime in Tehran that targeted the Jewish state.
Declaring Guterres a “persona non grata,” Katz said in a statement “anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as nearly all the countries of the world have done, does not deserve to set foot on Israeli soil,” while confirming “Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity with or without António Guterres.”
Guterres responded to the allegations shortly after they were made, claiming, “as I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April, and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed, I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.”
Writing on X during the hour-long bombardment, Guterres did not mention “Iran” for censure but instead took objection to “the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation.”
Katz’s decision was criticized by spokespersons from Germany and the United States.
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