Katz to Guterres: You're biased on Oct. 7 because victims were Jewish

The UN Secretary-General is under fire by Katz, saying that the UN didn't respond properly to the October 7 massacre and invasion because the victims are Jewish.

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres exits the press room after speaking at the United Nations prior to a meeting about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., November 6, 2023 (photo credit: CAITLIN OCHS/REUTERS)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres exits the press room after speaking at the United Nations prior to a meeting about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, U.S., November 6, 2023
(photo credit: CAITLIN OCHS/REUTERS)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres failed to properly respond to the Hamas-led October 7 invasion of Israel because its victims were Jewish, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Monday.

“Your reluctance to lead a decisive international stance against” the atrocities committed by Hamas and its affiliated terror groups and the fixation of criticism on Israel ... signals a distressing bias,” Katz wrote in a letter he sent to Guterres.

“If the victims would not have been of Jewish or Israeli descent, your office would have responded in a much ‘more’ vigorous way,” Katz said.

In his letter, Katz called on the United Nations to declare Hamas a terror organization in advance of Monday afternoon’s Security Council’s debate on the October 7 attack.

“The necessity to declare Hamas as a terrorist organization and to impose severe sanctions similar to those placed on Al Qaeda and Daesh is critical and indisputable,” Katz wrote.

 Foreign Minister Israel Katz speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 16, 2023  (credit: BOAZ ARAD)
Foreign Minister Israel Katz speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 16, 2023 (credit: BOAZ ARAD)

He also urged Guterres to do more to ensure the “immediate and unconditional release” of all the remaining 134 hostages in Gaza.