Israel Bans UN Secretary-General Guterres Over Lack of Condemnation of Iran's Attack

In a significant diplomatic move, Israel has banned UN Secretary-General António Guterres from entering the country, designating him persona non grata. This decision follows Guterres' lack of response to Iran's recent missile strikes on Israel.

Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, made the announcement after Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday. Despite no reported injuries from the attack, Katz expressed outrage at Guterres' failure to condemn Iran's actions, stating that such a failure was unacceptable.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Katz declared:
“Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country."

He further criticized Guterres for his lack of response to previous attacks and atrocities, particularly the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas, adding:
“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."

Katz's statement went on to accuse Guterres of tacitly supporting terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, labeling Iran as the "mothership of global terror." Katz emphasized that Israel would continue to defend its citizens and uphold its dignity, with or without the UN Secretary-General.