Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Danny Danon and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative For Children and Armed Conflict Vanessa Frazier were involved in a heated argument at a meeting in New York on Friday.
In the meeting to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, Danon had demanded the resignation of Pramila Pattern for blacklisting Israel for such crimes in a report and accused her of bias.
“You caved to the Secretary-Generals’s [Antonio Guterres] obsession with targeting Israel,” he said.
Frazier, who had also called out Israel in a separate report, intervened and demanded Danon to refrain from “personal attacks” and said that she had “verified evidence” against Tel Aviv for alleged violations.
The two continued to talk over each other, with Danon telling her to be quiet.
“We are a member state, and you work for the U.N., and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet … you and your shameful report,” he said.
Danon added, “We know why you took this position. We will not allow you to be part of this shameful campaign. I will finish my words.”
Frazier had issued her report last week on behalf of Guterres, warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children due to what he describes as a “staggering” rise in violations against Palestinian children.
Israel already featured in the same report’s “list of shame” for alleged abuses.
Patten issued her report last month, prompting Danon to call it a “new low”.
“This is a political decision! Disconnected from the facts and reality!” he had posted on X.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also pledged to cut all ties with Guterres, who is currently serving the end of his 10-year tenure.
Both the reports also blacklisted the Palestinian armed resistance group Hamas.
