{"id":612609,"date":"2026-09-11T08:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/612609\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T08:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:10:09","slug":"israels-danny-danon-take-on-growing-hostility-at-the-un","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/612609\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel’s Danny Danon take on growing hostility at the UN"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYou caved to the secretary-general\u2019s obsession with targeting Israel,\u201d Danon accused Pramila Patten<\/a>, the secretary-general\u2019s special representative on sexual violence in conflict.<\/p>\n

After being rebuked for his tone and told to be quiet by another UN official \u2013 Vanessa Fraser, the secretary-general\u2019s special representative for children and armed conflict \u2013 Danon retorted: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The angry exchange sparked headlines worldwide, but for Danon, a veteran Israeli politician, former government minister, and now seasoned diplomat, such exchanges, especially at the UN and particularly since Hamas\u2019s October 7 attacks, are nothing new.<\/p>\n

Even before October 7, he recalled in a recent interview with The Jerusalem Report, such hostility was everywhere in the halls of the New York-based organization, even though he believes it was masked much better.<\/p>\n

Now, those masks are off, said Danon, and Israel must be in the room to stand up for itself.<\/p>\n

Accusations of genocide<\/p>\n

This month, the international forum will hold its annual General Assembly, with heads of state from 193 countries descending on the organization\u2019s headquarters in the heart of Manhattan.<\/p>\n

Among those world leaders will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. With tension surrounding the nearly three-year war in Gaza, including accusations of genocide, Netanyahu is likely to receive a frosty reception.<\/p>\n

Already, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> has called for Netanyahu to be arrested as soon as he touches down in the city, even though such an arrest is not legally possible.<\/p>\n

Inside the halls of the UN, the Israeli leader and the country\u2019s ambassador are also likely to face protests.<\/p>\n

But hostile world leaders storming out of the General Assembly as soon as Netanyahu steps up to speak at the podium is nothing new.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure the prime minister will be ready for any provocations,\u201d commented Danon, adding, \u201cThe mayor is causing instability by calling for people to demonstrate; that will make this year much harder, but inside the hall, both myself and the prime minister have gone through this so many times, I don\u2019t think we can be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that not much seems to surprise Danon, who spent nearly a decade as a member of the Knesset and served as deputy minister of defense from 2013 to 2014, before being appointed Israel\u2019s permanent representative to the UN<\/a>, serving in that position from 2015 to 2020.<\/p>\n

\"AmbassadorAmbassador Danny Danon speaks during a press conference before a United Nations Security Council meeting in March. (credit: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO\/GETTY IMAGES)<\/p>\n

Yet even the longtime politician was shocked by the extreme bias against Israel that greeted him when he returned to the UN in August 2024. This time, he said, it\u2019s not only coming from the obvious member states but from the UN officials themselves, including Guterres.<\/p>\n

Danon said that immediately after the October 7 attack, \u201cwe saw everyone supporting us, but they forgot very fast what happened… and instead focused on the situation in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy challenge was to keep reminding them that we still had hostages there,\u201d he said, recalling how in every speech he made until the final hostage came home, he would start by reminding UN officials and other member states that the war would not end until all the hostages were returned to Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could tell by the looks the delegates gave me that they didn\u2019t believe it,\u201d Danon noted. \u201cThey were sure it was an excuse, and everything was all about the suffering in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UN is supposed to be a place that encourages dialogue and engagement, but instead, it has become a platform to incite against Israel, and UN officials were actually taking an active part in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Changing the narrative<\/p>\n

Danon gave the example of UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat, who warned alarmingly in May 2025 that 14,000 babies and infants in Gaza were at imminent risk of dying.<\/p>\n

Later, the UN corrected Fletcher\u2019s assessment, but, said Danon, he was the first person to use the term \u201cgenocide\u201d in relation to Gaza, and after that it was adopted by other officials and country representatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce he used it, then immediately many member states adopted it, too, and it became the narrative of the UN, even though it was a baseless lie,\u201d said the Israeli diplomat, describing a trajectory whereby UN officials led the way for member states to feel more comfortable attacking Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when we saw the secretary-general and other UN officials fighting against Israel, instead of becoming a player in the negotiations or trying to finish the conflict,\u201d Danon said. \u201cIt became very one-sided and was no longer effective in any negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danon admitted he was shocked by the change in attitude, not because Israel was ever particularly welcome at the UN before October 7 and the Gaza war, but, he said, \u201cI was used to the games that they were playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would always say \u2018We are objective, we are professionals,\u2019 but now they were not even playing that game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"AmbassadorAmbassador Danny Danon speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Lebanon at the UN Headquarters in March. (credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Danon described an exchange he had with Guterres when he came to present his credentials before his second term.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked him, \u2018How come you haven\u2019t visited Israel since October 7? You know, you are the secretary-general of the United Nations, and this was the biggest atrocity since the Holocaust against the Jewish people,\u2019\u201d recounted Danon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis answer was very disappointing. He said: \u2018Bibi didn\u2019t send me an invitation letter, and that\u2019s why I didn\u2019t go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Guterres\u2019s response hit Danon hard. The two had formed a friendship during his previous stint in New York, with the secretary-general joining Danon and his family for Shabbat dinners, attending Israel-connected events, and even visiting the country on an official trip with Danon in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a very good relationship; I traveled with him to Israel, he came to my house for dinner, and we had a lot of dialogue, but it all changed when I came back to the UN…. Then I met a totally different man,\u201d Danon said.<\/p>\n

No neutrality<\/p>\n

The ambassador said he believes the Gaza war was one factor that prompted the change. But also, the fact that Guterres is retiring from his role at the end of the year means \u201che cares less about presenting himself as an objective player.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I was here, he wanted to be reelected, and he knew that he needed the support of the US and full consensus [from member states], so he was nice to everyone. But now [that] he\u2019s in his second [and final] term, he is showing his real face,\u201d said Danon.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cWe knew his background… but we hoped that he would be objective, and it\u2019s very unfortunate to see what has happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danon said Guterres\u2019s bias is clear on other issues, not only Israel, making him less effective in a mediation role.<\/p>\n

With Guterres setting such a tone, Danon said it is easy for other UN officials to take a certain position or be unabashedly biased, even though their role is meant to be neutral and objective.<\/p>\n

Regarding the decision to include Israel on the UN\u2019s blacklist for committing sexual crimes, Danon called it \u201coutrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was his decision, and it was baseless,\u201d he said. \u201cHe wants to take an active role against Israel, and he\u2019s using the platform of the UN for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the veteran ambassador is hopeful that as long as Israel remains a strong presence in the international forum, there is a chance for change.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not gonna be overnight,\u201d said Danon, explaining that the secretary-general has nominated like-minded people for a whole host of special rapporteur and commissioner positions.<\/p>\n

Recalling the heated exchange he had with Fraser in June, Danon said: \u201cAfterward, when we looked at her social media, we saw all sorts of antisemitic posts…. No one seems to be monitoring this, and that is something we want to install at the UN.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danon believes there can be a shift in a different direction, as long as Israel continues with its diplomacy and pressure.<\/p>\n

\"AmbassadorAmbassador Danny Danon escorts former US ambassador to the UN, politician, Nikki Haley to Kibbutz Nir Oz on May 27, 2024. (credit: Amir Levy\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to wait for this secretary-general to leave,\u201d he said, adding that until then, \u201cwe are working on exposing the institutional antisemitism at the UN, and we hope that we will be able to bring about change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friends at the UN<\/p>\n

Danon also said there are signs of change, with more and more countries showing their support for Israel in different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do have friends at the UN, and we appreciate them,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s easier now. During the war, it was very hard for countries to take sides, but now they have more time, and they\u2019re looking at the issues differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danon used the example of disarming Hamas in Gaza. \u201cI think many countries support that now because they realize that there is no future for Gaza with Hamas there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked whether he thinks Israel should just shut up shop in such a hostile, unbalanced forum as the UN, Danon was pragmatic.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy approach is that we have to be in the room, and we don\u2019t just leave, for two reasons…. First, our friends will not speak up for us if we are not there fighting for ourselves, and we do have friends; second, if we are not there, it will be much easier to promote hate against us, to sanction us, and do other things.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have to reform the UN dramatically but not ignore it,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cEvery time I enter a room and make the argument for Israel, it is much harder for those people who hate us to come and spread their lies.\u201d\u25a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou caved to the secretary-general\u2019s obsession with targeting Israel,\u201d Danon accused Pramila Patten, the secretary-general\u2019s special representative on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":612610,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[108,6603,11740,85,46,13810,43,4497],"class_list":["post-612609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-anti-israel","tag-antonio-guterres","tag-danny-danon","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-jerusalem-report","tag-news","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}