Israel-UN relations reach unprecedented depths as Secretary-General resorts to rare diplomatic action

Israel's relationship with the United Nations has reached an all-time low following an escalated conflict between the two entities this week.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used a rarely employed but influential tool on Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, sparking anger among Israeli diplomats.

In a letter to the 15-member council, Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN charter, which allows the UN chief to bring to the Security Council's attention "any issue that may aggravate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security." He urged the council to "press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe" and join in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.

This image, captured in the southern region of Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 3, 2023, displays smoke rising over the Palestinian enclave amidst Israeli bombardment during the ongoing conflict with the militant group Hamas. On December 3, Israel conducted deadly airstrikes in Gaza, prompting increased international pressure for the protection of civilians and the negotiation of a renewed truce with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

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CNN Gaza reporters relatives killed and childhood home destroyed in two separate strikes

Israel vehemently rejects any proposals for a ceasefire, stating that it must continue its offensive in Gaza to eradicate Hamas after the group's militants launched an attack on October 7, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and the taking of over 240 hostages. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah reports that Israel's campaign in Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 16,000 individuals. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized the UN secretary-general, claiming that his suggestion for a ceasefire in Gaza is tantamount to backing Hamas and their October 7 assault, and labeled the secretary-general's tenure as a threat to global peace.

Guterres' letter marked the seventh time in 78 years that Article 99 had been invoked by the UN, and the first time since 1989, when then Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar urged the Security Council to call for a ceasefire during the Lebanese civil war. According to Daniel Forti, a senior UN analyst at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank, this move by Guterres was a "symbolic punch" and an urgent appeal for diplomatic action to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from reaching a point of no return.

In New York on November 29, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres participated in a UN Security Council meeting addressing the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Security Council is anticipated to convene an urgent meeting on Friday at 10 a.m. local time in New York to address the current crisis. The UAE has submitted a draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, with backing from Arab and Islamic nations.

Forti stated that Guterres' letter was not likely to change the political dynamics within the Security Council, but it could potentially increase the urgency for diplomatic action. He emphasized that the moral impact of using this tool is significant, given its rarity.

Despite facing criticism from Israel, which perceives the UN as biased against it, Guterres has condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas on multiple occasions, including the letter invoking Article 99. Multiple Israeli officials have publicly called for his resignation.

According to Gabriela Shalev, Israel's former ambassador to the UN from 2008 to 2010, relations between Israel and the UN are currently at a historic low. She mentioned that tensions arose soon after Israel was established in 1947 following a UN General Assembly resolution. Shalev, also an emeritus professor at the Hebrew University's Faculty of Law, expressed her concern about the strained relations, stating, "I think it is a very low point in relations between Israel and the UN... a very low point in our relations with the world," with the exception of the United States. She emphasized the existential threat faced by Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and expressed feeling misunderstood by UN organizations worldwide.

The UN Security Council's response to the Hamas attacks and Israel's subsequent war with the Palestinian militant group has been marked by disagreement, particularly between the United States and Russia. On November 15, a resolution was passed calling for the immediate release of all hostages by Hamas, as well as the adoption of urgent and extended humanitarian pauses. Israel has criticized the council's failure to condemn the October 7 attack.

On October 19, temporary shelters were erected for Palestinian refugees at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) center in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip.

Photo Credit: Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli diplomats at the UN have condemned the world body since the war started. Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, and his team have been wearing yellow Stars of David to protest the UN's perceived inaction on the Hamas attack, reminding of the Nazi-era persecution of Jews. Erdan and Cohen, the foreign minister, have been leading Israel's efforts to undermine the UN and its leader.

On October 24, Guterres delivered a speech to the Security Council in which he "unequivocally" condemned the Hamas attack but acknowledged that it didn't occur "in a vacuum." He also highlighted that the Palestinians had endured "56 years of suffocating occupation" by Israel.

RE'IM, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 13: The aftermath of the Supernova Music Festival site attack near the border with Gaza is still evident, with destroyed cars and personal effects scattered around. The attack, carried out by Hamas militants, resulted in hundreds of deaths and dozens taken hostage. Israel has responded by sealing off Gaza and launching sustained retaliatory air strikes, leading to at least 1,400 deaths and over 400,000 displaced individuals. On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,300 deaths and around 2,800 injuries. As a result, Israeli soldiers and civilians have been taken hostage and moved into Gaza, prompting a declaration of war by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the establishment of an emergency wartime government. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

The revelation of rape and sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas during its terror attack on Israel has incited anger among Israeli diplomats. As a result, Erdan has demanded the resignation of the secretary-general and threatened to deny visas to UN officials as a punitive measure. He also highlighted that Hamas officials were using his address as a justification for their attack, and accused the UN of antisemitism, urging for its funding to be halted.

Cohen has consistently refused to meet with Guterres, stating that a "balanced approach" to the October 7 attack is not feasible, and has frequently demanded his resignation.

Shalev, the former Israeli ambassador, criticized the approach of Israeli diplomats in addressing the conflict with the UN, especially the calls for the secretary-general's resignation. Dismissing the views of the UN or withdrawing from the organization would not benefit Israel, she emphasized.

Quarrel goes beyond the secretary-general

Israel's dispute with the UN has extended beyond the secretary-general, with Israeli officials also criticizing the World Health Organization, UN Women, and the UN's Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese.

On the other hand, over 100 UN staffers have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, marking the largest loss in the world body's history. UNRWA employs over 10,000 people in Gaza, and UN offices worldwide honored them with a minute of silence and flying their flags at half-staff last month. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported last month that more than 60 of its facilities, mostly schools housing thousands of civilians, had suffered collateral and direct damage.

UNRWA has faced significant criticism from Israel. Established by the UN following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the organization's purpose is to provide assistance to displaced Palestinians. It considers Palestinian refugees to include those who were forced from their homes during the creation of Israel in 1948, as well as their descendants, totaling 5.9 million individuals. Israel has opposed the idea of their return, contending it would undermine the country's Jewish identity.

Then-Israeli ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev addresses a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the crisis in Gaza at the UN headquarters in New York, on January 6, 2009.

Mike Segar/Reuters

Israel has accused UNRWA of inciting anti-Israeli sentiment for a long time. UNRWA has denied these accusations. In 2017, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to disband UNRWA and suggested that it should be integrated with the main UN refugee agency. Since the attack on October 7, Israeli journalists and news sources have shifted their focus to UNRWA and have been highlighting stories that raise questions about its involvement in the conflict.

An Israeli journalist recently alleged on social media, formerly Twitter, that one of the hostage takers in Gaza was a teacher at an UNRWA-run school. This report gained attention from Israeli news outlets, prompting the UN agency to issue a statement calling for an "immediate stop" to the spread of "unsubstantiated claims" about the organization, stating that they amounted to "misinformation."

Another story widely circulated in Israeli media claimed that the Israeli military discovered weapons in Gaza stored below UNRWA boxes, suggesting that the UN agency could be complicit in Hamas militancy. Israel's UN ambassador, Erdan, indicated the video proved that the UN had become an "accomplice to terror."

Albanese has faced intense scrutiny and criticism from Israeli officials. Most recently, a spokesperson for the Israeli government accused him of being "a shameless Hamas-complicit official" who engages in "disgusting Holocaust inversion."

In this November 14 photo, people attend the March for Israel on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The House has approved a resolution condemning antisemitism. The following day, Albanese stated that individuals involved in issues related to Israel or the Palestinian territories are often labeled as "supporting terror" or being antisemitic."

Albanese emphasized that the most disgraceful assaults on the UN are those targeting UNRWA, which provides vital support during times of war. Additionally, articles in the Israeli media have raised doubts about UNRWA's credibility and suggested a reevaluation of the organization.

Shalev said there was little Israeli trust in UNRWA.

UNRWA has consistently refuted accusations of aid diversion and teaching hatred in its schools. The organization has questioned the motives of those making such claims and has condemned the abhorrent Hamas attack.

Shalev stated that using anti-UN rhetoric was not the most effective way for Israelis to respond, despite the longstanding distrust.