Israeli Report Accuses UN Chief Guterres of Consistent Anti-Israel Rhetoric

A new study by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism alleges that UN Secretary-General António Guterres has maintained a consistently critical stance against Israel throughout his tenure. The report, released ahead of Guterres's departure, analyzes his public statements and those of six senior UN officials from 2017 to 2026.

According to the study's authors, Israel was mentioned in Guterres's public statements at least 278 times between 2017 and 2026, more frequently than any other country examined. The report claims that Guterres's statements repeatedly accused Israel of intentionally harming civilians, medical personnel, and journalists, and alleged widespread hunger, collective punishment, and the commission of international crimes. The study also notes Guterres's use of the term "ethnic cleansing," citing a November 2023 warning about potential ethnic cleansing in Gaza and an October 2024 statement suggesting "reasonable grounds" to believe war crimes had occurred.

Further points raised in the research include Guterres's demands for Israel to "stop attacks on UN personnel" and his condemnation of the death of a UNRWA employee in October 2024, whom Israeli intelligence identified as a commander in a terrorist organization. The report also highlights alleged institutional ties, such as Guterres's participation in a forum in Doha, Qatar, and the inclusion of materials from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the UN's annual report on children and armed conflict.

Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli stated that Guterres "remains true to the same line" and accused him of perpetuating a one-sided narrative against a member state. Avi Cohen Scali, Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, declared that under Guterres, the UN has become an "antisemitic and anti-Israel institution" focused on damaging the State of Israel rather than seeking truth.