Diplomatic decorum collapsed at the United Nations on Friday when Israel’s ambassador and a senior UN official became embroiled in a loud, public argument during an official hearing in New York.
The confrontation took place at a meeting commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon directed his anger at Pramila Patten, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict, calling on her to step down and accusing her of bias after her report placed Israel on a blacklist for alleged abuses for the first time.
“You caved to the secretary-general’s obsession with targeting Israel,” Danon said, referring to U.N. chief Antonio Guterres.
Another UN official, Vanessa Frazier — Guterres’ representative for children and armed conflict — interrupted the exchange by shouting a point of order. She urged Danon to stop making “personal attacks” and stated that she had “verified evidence.”
Danon responded by telling Frazier to be silent.
“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.
Frazier, who previously served as Malta’s ambassador to the United Nations, released her own report this week on behalf of Guterres. That report warned that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children, with Guterres describing a “staggering” rise in such violations against Palestinian children.
Israel already appears in the annexes of that report — often referred to as the “list of shame” — for alleged violations.
When Patten’s report was released last month, Danon called it “a new low,” and Israel’s foreign ministry announced it would cut all ties with Guterres, who is set to leave his position after 10 years when his term ends at year’s end.
Both reports also include Israel’s adversary Hamas on their blacklists.
