What was meant to be a United Nations event focused on conflict-related sexual violence turned into a diplomatic confrontation on Friday, as senior UN officials and Israelโs ambassador exchanged sharp words in a heated public dispute.
The confrontation unfolded during a meeting in New York marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The atmosphere quickly turned tense when Israelโs ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, launched a strong attack on a recent UN report that placed Israel on a blacklist over alleged violations.
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Israel accuses UN official of biasย
Addressing the gathering, Danon directly targeted Pramila Patten, the UN official behind the report. He accused her of unfairly singling out Israel and demanded her resignation.
According to Danon, the report reflected what he described as an ongoing effort within the UN leadership to target Israel. His remarks immediately heightened tensions in the room and drew reactions from other UN representatives present at the event.
“You caved to the secretary-general’s obsession with targeting Israel,” Danon said, referring to UN chief Antonio Guterres. The report in question marked the first time Israel had been included on a UN blacklist related to such allegations, making it a particularly sensitive issue for the Israeli government.
Heated exchange turn into shouting matchย
The situation escalated further when another senior UN official, Vanessa Frazier, interrupted Danon and objected to what she called โpersonal attacks against UN staff.โ Frazier defended the findings of the report, stating that the conclusions were based on verified evidence. Her intervention sparked an immediate response from the Israeli envoy.
Danon fired back, telling her to remain silent, declaring that Israel was a member state while UN officials were employees of the organization.ย
“We are a member state, and you work for the U.N., and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet … you and your shameful report,” he said.
The exchange transformed an otherwise routine UN hearing into a highly public diplomatic showdown. The clash comes amid growing tensions between Israel and the United Nations over recent reports concerning the conflict in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian situation.
What bias is Israel talking about?
This week, Frazier presented a separate report warning that Israeli settler groups could potentially be added to a global blacklist for violations against children.ย The report also highlighted what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as a โstaggeringโ increase in violations affecting Palestinian children.
Israel has already been included in the reportโs so-called โlist of shame,โ a designation that has drawn strong objections from Israeli officials.
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