Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, on Wednesday blasted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, after Guterres took advantage of the instability in Syria to once again condemn Israel.
In a statement issued earlier in the day, Guterres said he was “alarmed” by the continued escalation of violence in Syria and said he unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians.
He then added, however, “I condemn Israel’s escalatory airstrikes and reports of the IDF's redeployment of forces in the Golan. I call for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty & territorial integrity.”
In response, Danon said, “UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to expose his moral bankruptcy. While members of the Druze community are being brutally slaughtered in Syria, he once again chooses silence.”
“Instead of calling for swift action in Syria, he chooses to vilify Israel—the only country actively fighting the forces of evil in the region,” added the Israeli envoy.
“The UN failed to condemn Hamas following the horrors of October 7th. And now, after the massacre of the Druze in Syria, the shameful silence continues,” stated Danon.
The IDF earlier on Wednesday carried out strikes on the Syrian regime's central headquarters as well as the presidential palace in Damascus.
The strikes followed increased tensions with Syria following the Syrian military's massacre of the Druze population in southern Syria.
Guterres has been regularly critical of Israel’s counterterrorism operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Several weeks after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, the UN Secretary-General said that the attack on Israel “did not happen in a vacuum” and appeared to blame Israel for the attack.
After his remarks were widely condemned, the UN chief claimed his comments were misinterpreted and that he had indeed condemned Hamas.
He recently criticized Israel’s renewal of strikes on the Gaza Strip and said he was “outraged” by them.
In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein wrote, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages—two proposals that Israel accepted,” added Marmorstein.
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”
“Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and its facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson concluded.