Israel Launches Campaign Against UN Secretary-General's Criticism

As the UN General Assembly convenes in New York, Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has released a comprehensive study detailing UN Secretary-General António Guterres's consistent criticism of Israel. The report indicates that between 2017 and 2026, Guterres mentioned Israel 278 times, more than any other country, often employing harsh terms such as "ethnic cleansing," "war crimes," and "starvation." This critical stance was evident in his opening address to the General Assembly.

The study analyzed 44 selected statements by Guterres and six senior UN officials, documenting accusations of ethnic cleansing in Gaza as early as November 2023 and claims in May 2025 that Israel was blocking aid and starving families. The report also highlights Guterres's condemnation of the killing of a UNRWA employee who was identified as a Hamas commander, and notes that the UN's annual report on children relied on content provided by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Concurrently with the report's release and ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the National Public Diplomacy Directorate launched the "UN's Industry of Lies" campaign. A digital video distributed in the US and Europe depicts the General Assembly hall filled with parrots repeating "Blame Israel," with a caption stating that repeating lies does not make them true. The campaign, produced by the Government Press Office, includes a website developed with the National Security Council and a center for documenting information manipulation and internal silencing within the UN.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli criticized Guterres, stating the General Assembly hall has become an echo chamber for baseless accusations. His office's director-general, Avi Cohen Scali, added that under Guterres, the UN has become an antisemitic institution focused on smearing Israel. Head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Tzipi Hotovely, concluded that the false starvation narrative is just one example of the UN's propaganda machine, and Israel intends to present facts to dismantle this industry.