Foreign Minister Israel Katz has summoned Israel's ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan back for consultations, he wrote in a post on X on Tuesday morning.
"As the Foreign Minister, I determine the policy and the scale of values of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and therefore, I instructed to immediately take the unprecedented and extraordinary step of summoning Israel's ambassador to the United Nations for consultations, and he is currently on the plane on his way to Israel," Katz said.
כשר החוץ אני קובע את המדיניות ואת סולם הערכים של משרד החוץ ולכן הנחיתי לנקוט מיד בצעד תקדימי ויוצא דופן בזימון שגריר ישראל באו"ם להתייעצויות, והוא נמצא כעת על המטוס בדרכו לישראל, וזאת מתוך הבעת מחאה על העובדה שמזכ"ל האו"ם פועל למסמס את הדו"ח החמור שהוא עצמו הזמין על פשעי המין של…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 5, 2024
Katz said he did this in protest of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's exclusion of Hamas from responsibility in light of the UN envoy report, which stated there was substantial evidence to conclude that victims, as well as hostages and survivors of October 7, were sexually abused and raped by Hamas terrorists.
"Despite the authority granted to him, the UN secretary-general did not order the convening of the security council in light of the findings in order to declare Hamas a terrorist organization and impose sanctions on its supporters," Katz had previously said.
"The sexual crimes committed by Hamas are the most serious thing that has come before the UN in the history of the State of Israel. There is nothing comparable to them in the history of the State of Israel - and it is our duty to act in every way for the dignity of the victims, who were severely abused and murdered, and whose bodies were desecrated even after their death, and for the sake of all the hostages who are currently in the captivity of Hamas," the foreign minister continued.
He concludes in his X post that Guterres has brought the UN to its lowest level "when he ignores terrible crimes against humanity committed against Jews and Israelis and constantly engages in attempts to discredit Israel and harm its right to self-defense. We will do everything to prevent him and his friends from forgetting this report and from forgetting to avoid making the required decisions."
Guterres unwelcome to Israel?
Yisrael Beytenu political party head Avigdor Liberman said that Guterres's "refusal to discuss the report published last night, which unequivocally points to rape and serious sexual violence committed by the Hamas monsters against kidnappers, is clear proof that he is a hypocritical and antisemitic man."
Liberman also called on Katz to declare Guterres a persona non-grata (unwelcome to the State of Israel) and noted his belief that announcing the severance of all ties with UNRWA is necessary.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that the UN envoy report on Hamas's sexual violence "establishes with clarity and integrity the systematic and continuous sexual crimes committed by the Hamas terrorists against Israeli women. Hamas and its allies are trying to deny and run away from this terrible shame, but they will not succeed, as the evidence is clear and shocking.
"Hamas is committing barbaric war crimes, and now it's the world's duty to respond strongly by condemning it. We must continue our relentless efforts in demanding that all hostages return home to their families. As the report shows, their lives are constantly in clear and immediate danger," he concluded.