United Nations (TDI): The United Nations has dubbed Israel’s decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata as an another attack on its staff by Tel Aviv.
However, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that contacts at operational level will continue “because we need to”.
“We saw this announcement this morning, which we see as a political statement by the foreign minister. And just one more attack, so to speak, on UN staff that we’ve seen from the government of Israel,” the spokesperson said in response to a question during regular briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.
Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared Guterres persona non grata and called him anti-Israel secretary-general while blaming him for support to terrorists.
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Reacting on the strange remarks, Diplomats at the UN called the Israeli move unprecedented and regrettable, saying an action of this kind has never been taken against a UN chief.
He said that the UN does not recognize the concept of persona non grata applies to its staff, according to media reports.
Terming the Israel’s announcement as a political statement and not a legal one, Dujarric clarified that Guterres only travels to a country upon the invitation.
Condemning the language, Dujarric further stated that in his 24-year career, he had never encountered such a statement.
Israel perceive that the UN chief has not condemned attacks from Iran on Israel properly.
After the strikes, Guterres said: “I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation,” and urged an immediate cease-fire.
The UN spokesperson welcomed the support of UN Security Council members for Guterres at a session on the Middle East.
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Almost all members at the UNSC, including Switzerland, expressed support for the UN chief. Nevertheless, the US Ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, specifically avoided remarks on Guterres.
“The United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” she said.
