104 countries back UN Chief against Israel’s ban

Denmark and 103 other countries have supported UN Secretary-General António Guterres after Israel declared him persona non grata (unwanted in Israel) on October 2, following Israel’s Foreign Minister Katz’s accusations that he did not strongly condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel on October 1. The countries have signed a letter criticizing this declaration and reinforcing the need for the UN and its Secretary-General to operate unhindered globally, including for conflict mediation and providing humanitarian aid. Sweden shared the news about the letter on its government website, stating that signing the letter does not imply complete agreement with the views of the other signatories, some of which have strained relations with Israel. Guterres, from Portugal, has been leading the UN since January 2017, succeeding Ban Ki-moon.