United Nations: On what has been described as a rare breakdown of diplomatic decorum at a public hearing of the United Nations (UN), the Israeli envoy and UN officials engaged in a heated shouting match over reports blacklisting the country.
This happened during a meeting held in New York to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
It started 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.
The Israeli envoy told the UN official to “be quiet” amir the argument, and said that his country was a member state and she was an employee of the UN, Reuters news agency reported.
During the hearing, Israel’s ambassador Danny Danon demanded the resignation of a UN official Pramila Patten, who had produced a report that blacklisted the country 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 is not in good terms with Guterres and the country’s foreign ministry has vowed to severe all ties with the UN secretary-general, who is set to vacate his office at the end of this year, after serving ten years.
Even as Danon made his 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, as reported by Hindustan Times.
This was when the Israeli envoy asked her to “be quiet”, saying that his country was a member state and she just worked for the UN. Danon also 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’s report, issued this week on Guterres’ behalf, 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.
The UN secretary general has expressed concern at the “staggering” rise of violations against Palestinian children. The Israeli ambassador, however, 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.