A rare breakdown of diplomatic decorum unfolded at a public hearing of the United Nations as the Israeli envoy and UN officials engaged in a heated shouting match over reports blacklisting Israel.
The dispute began with a war of words between Israel’s ambassador and the UN secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict Vanessa Frazier, following which other officials got involved. Amid the argument, the Israeli envoy told the UN official to “be quiet”, saying that the country was a member state and she was an employee of the UN, Reuters news agency reported.
The meeting was held in New York to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
What was the dispute about?
Israel’s ambassador Danny Danon during the hearing on Friday demanded the resignation of a UN official named Pramila Patten, who had produced a report that blacklisted Israel for alleged sexual abuses for the first time. Danon accused Patten of being biased, while also hitting out at the UN secretary-general.
“You caved to the secretary-general’s obsession with targeting Israel,” Danon told Patten. The former was referring to UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Israel’s foreign ministry has vowed to sever all ties with Guterres, who is set to vacate his office at the end of this year, after serving ten years.
However, amid Danon’s allegations, another UN official, Vanessa Frazier, intervened by shouting a point of order. Frazier is Guterres’ representative for children and armed conflict, and had compiled a separate report, which also blacklisted Israel. Frazier, Malta’s former UN ambassador, asked Danon to refrain from “personal attacks”, while stating that she had “verified evidence” regarding the report.
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‘You work for UN…you will be quiet’
Following Frazier’s intervention, the Israeli envoy asked her to “be quiet”, saying that the country was a member state and that she worked for the UN. Danon termed her report as “shameful.”
“We are a member state, and you work for the UN, and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet … you and your shameful report,” Danon told Frazier. Frazier had issued her report this week on behalf of Guterres, which had carried a warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children.
Israel is already listed in the report under its so-called shame annexes for alleged violations.
This came even as the UN secretary general expressed concern at the “staggering” rise of violations against Palestinian children. The Israeli ambassador referred to Patten’s report, which came after Frazier’s, as a “new low”.
Both Frazier and Patten’s reports also blacklist Israel’s rival Hamas.
(With inputs from Reuters)
