"United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Monday that calling for Israel's destruction is a 'form of modern anti-Semitism' and said he would treat Israel with 'impartiality' amid vocal complaints by Israeli officials that the world body is biased against the Jewish state.
'I do believe that in particular when you mention those who call for the destruction of the State of Israel that that is a form of modern anti-Semitism,' Guterres told President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.
'But you also understand that I sometimes disagree with positions of the Government of Israel or any other government, and that is absolutely normal in a society where many of your citizens have exactly the same expressions of opinions,' he added.
'We will always be very frank in the dialogue with the State of Israel in trying to find ways for peace to be possible in this region, but we will always be very committed to make sure anti-Semitism doesn't prevail and that equality in the treatment of all states is fully respected.'
Guterres, who was greeted upon his arrival Sunday with complaints from Israeli officials of the UN's 'anti-Israel bias,' said under his leadership the international body will treat Israel with 'impartiality,' as he said it does with every country.
'I want to express to you, Mr. President, that you can be fully confident that in my role as Secretary General, and in relation to the functions of the secretariat that I am supposed to meet, I am very keen in stressing the values of the Charter, and the very important value of the Charter, impartiality,' he told Rivlin.
'And impartiality means treating all states equally, and I am totally committed to that in my action and in everything I can do for the organization I lead.'..."