Spain has expressed strong backing for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, following Israel’s declaration that he is persona non grata. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares condemned the Israeli decision, stating, “We completely reject this slander and this ban, and we support, of course, the UN Secretary-General,” during an interview with Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.
Albares highlighted Guterres’s friendship with Spain, referring to him as a good friend of Spain and, above all, a friend of peace. His comments came in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s announcement that Guterres has been officially barred from entering the country.
“I have declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country,” Katz stated in his announcement.
This latest ban is part of a broader trend, as several UN officials have been prohibited from entering Israel in recent months. Among those barred is UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinians, Francesca Albanese, who has faced accusations of bias against Israel. Additionally, the chief of the UN humanitarian office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory had his visa not renewed in August, following a UN report alleging Israeli violations of the rights of Palestinian children.