Israel has declared United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata, effectively banning him from entering the country due to his silence on Iran’s recent attack on Israel.
Israeli officials criticized Guterres for not condemning Iran’s actions, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz stating in a post on his official X account that, “Anyone who cannot unequivocally denounce Iran’s brutal attack on Israel, as nearly every nation in the world has done, is unworthy of setting foot on Israeli soil.”
Katz specifically called out Guterres for failing to speak out against the “massacre and sexual atrocities” committed by Hamas militants on October 7 and for not spearheading efforts to officially label Hamas as a terrorist organization.
He further condemned the UN leader, asserting that Guterres’ perceived support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran—the so-called “mothership of global terror”—would tarnish the legacy of the UN. Katz concluded by reaffirming Israel’s resolve to protect its citizens and uphold its dignity, “with or without António Guterres.”
In his statement, Katz said, “Today, I declared UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country. A leader who cannot unequivocally denounce Iran’s heinous attack, or the atrocities committed by Hamas, should not be welcome in Israel. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and its national honor, regardless of Guterres’ position.”
