Israeli Ambassador to the UN Organisations in Geneva Daniel Meron
Israel’s new ambassador to the UN institutions in Geneva, Daniel Meron, has accused the United Nations of unfair and disproportionate criticism after the October 7 attacks, betraying a country facing its worst disaster. In an exclusive interview with Agence France Presse, Meron expressed his frustration with the global organization.
“We believe that the UN has betrayed Israel,” Meron stated. “It abandoned Israel at the worst possible time, following the most severe event Israel has faced since its establishment in 1948,” added the ambassador, who assumed his position in July this year.
Israel has long accused various UN bodies of bias, but despite this, the country sought ways to work with the organization. However, after the attacks by Hamas on October 7, which led to a devastating Israeli response in Gaza, Israel’s trust in the UN has diminished. Meron emphasized that the situation drastically changed after the unprecedented violence, which also escalated tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Several UN agencies, officials, and experts have condemned Israel for its disproportionate use of force in Gaza, accusing it of war crimes and even genocide. Meron criticized this stance, noting that Hamas’ “barbaric” actions receive far less condemnation, creating a dangerous “moral equivalency” between Israel and a terrorist group.
The ambassador also denounced the UN’s stance regarding Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is backed by Iran. These attacks, which have claimed hundreds of lives, have been met with further criticism from the international community. Meron rhetorically asked, “Where was the world for the past 12 months?” pointing out that the ongoing conflict has prevented tens of thousands of Israelis from returning to their homes in northern Israel.
Meron reaffirmed that Israel is doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties but accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields, aiming to provoke more accusations against Israel for the deaths of non-combatants.
