Israel’s mission to the United Nations had an invitation-only guest list for its commemoration of Hamas’ attack in southern Israel a year ago and it didn’t include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was banned from the country last week. No UN official was on the invite list.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters the situation with the secretary-general was “sensitive.”
He asserted at the ceremony that the UN has failed Israel “time and time again,” including failing to condemn Hamas.
Several hundred ambassadors, diplomats, Jewish leaders and students attended the ceremony.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who declared Guterres “persona non grata” last week, vowed in a video message that Israel will respond “with strength and power” to Iran’s missile attack on Israel last week.
The Israeli ambassador said that “the days when we had to rely on foreign powers to protect us are over,” to applause.
