Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to speak on the third day of the UN General Assembly in New York, Thursday, Sept. 26. However, according to Reshet Bet Radio, he has yet to request a meeting with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, over Israel’s dissatisfaction with the moves the Secretary has led and his statements against it since the beginning of the war.
Last June, Guterres accused Israel – without mentioning it by name – of spreading disinformation about him since October 7. He said, “I have heard the same source say several times already that I have never attacked Hamas, that I have never condemned it, and that I support it. But I have condemned Hamas 102 times, 51 of them in official speeches, and the rest on social media.” We beg to differ.
Guterres undeniably blames Israel for everything and states that “collective punishment of the Palestinian people” by Israel is not justified. He equates the Hamas rapes and murders with Israel’s activities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza which was as close as he could get to justifying Hamas’s horrifying crimes without saying outright that Israel deserved it.
Guterres is no friend to Israel.The October 7 massacre and current war has shown his true colors. We cannot find a reason for Netanyahu to meet with this evil, and frankly, anti-Semitic “leader.” While we wish there was another way to send a message to Guterres, Netanyahu’s decision to forego requesting a meeting with him is the best option right now. While we don’t expect this choice to impact or change Guterres’ mind, it will certainly make a statement to people who understand the truth about what Israel is fighting for.