When asked by members of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum what he would do if he were PM of Israel, Guterres claimed he would prioritize the release of hostages.
New York – Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana cancelled his meeting Friday with the UN Secretary General following his morning of meetings with Interparliamentary Union members from Uruguay, Belgium, Tanzania, and Germany.
“The cancellation of the meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres did not come in a vacuum,” Ohana said on X.
“I intended to try and convince, as well as hand him a book we prepared in the Knesset, documenting the 7.10 with still images,” the post said. “But yesterday he again called on the State of Israel to stop fighting, criticizing it ‘even if Hamas uses human shields’. There are also lost cases and red lines. I will not whitewash Guterres.”
If Guterres controlled Israel
Earlier Friday, Guterres was asked by members of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum who were protesting outside his private residence what he would do if he were prime minister of Israel.
According to a release from the Forum, Guterres said if he were prime minister of Israel, he would place the release of the hostages as his highest priority.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana speaks at the United Nations in new York. February 9, 2024 (Communications of the Knesset Speaker))
He also said that though he was optimistic after meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar, with whom Guterres has a close relationship, he felt the responses received from both Hamas leaders and from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were not constructive.
According to the release, a spokesperson for Guterres said the notification of the cancellation was received through the media and that the Secretary General’s door is always open to any delegation.
Ohana addressed the Interparliamentary Union session Friday morning.
“We took an oath that never again should anyone take the lives of our brothers and sisters and not expect a response,” Ohana said. “The world must know that our days of being the homeless people are over and we miss any state and the obligation to defend our civilians. Israel Defense Forces will defend and protect them.
“When we said never again. We meant never again,” Ohana said. “How about the world?”
Omer Lubaton-Granot, head of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in New York, said in the release that it’s unfortunate that Ohana canceled his meeting with Guterres because in order to save the hostages, it’s necessary to speak with everyone.
“The families of the hostages and the hostages themselves have no time for boycotts,” Lubaton-Granot said. “And the official visits abroad are meant to advance the needs of Israel and its citizens, not to advance your political agenda and attempt to improve your place in the primaries.”
