Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has called on the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to stop bias against Israel at the UN by singling out “the world’s only Jewish state,” Haaretz reported.
Speaking at a meeting with Guterres, the President said: “This targeting of Israel, this singling out of the world’s only Jewish state, and even actions and statements that threaten to destroy Israel are unacceptable and should come at a price.” He added: “No member state in the UN should be allowed to behave like that. These actions weaken cooperation between states and are against the rule of law.”
Guterres, on his first official visit to Israel, replied that “I want to promise you, Mr. President that in my term of office I intend to emphasize the principles of equality and objectivity which we are obligated to, among all of the member states of the United Nations.”
The Secretary General also spoke of the importance to learn lessons from history. “I started my visit in your beautiful country with a very moving visit at Yad Vashem. This important place reminds all of us that the Holocaust occurred not so very long ago and that we are continuing to witness expressions of anti-Semitism around the world by means of discrimination and persecution,” he said. Guterres continued, saying that “Yad Vashem is a reminder to all of us that we must position ourselves as spearheads in the struggle against anti-Semitism and against all forms of racism, whatever they may be.”
In a separate meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Guterres that he appreciated his desire “to turn a new page” in the UN’s relations with Israel, echoing Rivlin’s earlier remarks.
Guterres reassured Netanyahu that “As Secretary General of the United Nations, I am totally committed to be … adamant” in regards to Israel’s right to exist.
The two men also discussed Israel’s concerns over Iranian activity in Syria and Lebanon, where the Islamic Republic is said to construct precision guided missiles factories.
Speaking ahead of the meeting with Guterres, Netanyahu accused Iran of using Syria as a “base of military entrenchment as part of its declared goal to eradicate Israel.” He added: “It is also building sites to produce precision-guided missiles towards that end, in both Syria and in Lebanon. This is something Israel cannot accept. This is something the UN should not accept.”
Guterres replied that he will “do everything in my capacity” to ensure UNIFIL, the UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon, is fulfilling its mandate. “I understand the security concerns of Israel and I repeat that the idea or the intention or the will to destroy the state of Israel is something totally unacceptable from my perspective,” Guterres said.
His comments come at a time U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley heavily criticized the conduct of UNIFIL for allowing the “massive flow of illegal weapons” to Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon.
[Photo: Wikimedia Commons]