Danon Rips Guterres for Condemning Israel While Ignoring Syrian Druze Massacre

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, harshly criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, accusing him of turning a blind eye to atrocities in Syria while unfairly targeting Israel.

Earlier in the day, Guterres issued a statement expressing concern over the escalating violence in Syria. He condemned all acts of violence against civilians without distinguishing between the parties responsible.

However, Guterres added pointed remarks against Israel, saying, “I condemn Israel’s escalatory airstrikes and reports of the IDF’s redeployment of forces in the Golan. I call for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty & territorial integrity.”

Danon responded forcefully: “UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to expose his moral bankruptcy. While members of the Druze community are being brutally slaughtered in Syria, he once again chooses silence.”

“Instead of calling for swift action in Syria, he chooses to vilify Israel—the only country actively fighting the forces of evil in the region,” Danon continued.

“The UN failed to condemn Hamas following the horrors of October 7th. And now, after the massacre of the Druze in Syria, the shameful silence continues,” he added.

The IDF confirmed it had launched strikes earlier Wednesday targeting the Syrian regime’s central command and the presidential palace in Damascus.

These operations came in response to mounting tensions, following the Syrian army’s mass killing of Druze civilians in southern Syria.

Guterres has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military actions against terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.

Notably, after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, Guterres remarked that the assault “did not happen in a vacuum,” implying a broader context—comments that sparked widespread outrage for seemingly blaming Israel.

Facing backlash, Guterres later claimed his words had been misunderstood and insisted he had condemned Hamas.

More recently, Guterres voiced his anger over Israel’s renewed airstrikes in Gaza, saying he was “outraged” by the actions.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein fired back, writing, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”

“Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages—two proposals that Israel accepted,” Marmorstein pointed out.

“Not a word about the fact that Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”

“Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and its facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy,” Marmorstein concluded.