OPINION:
One of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history comes from “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 film about Dorothy’s odyssey to return to her home in Kansas.
She journeys to the Wizard of Oz in hopes that he will be able to help her. When she finally arrives at the Wizard’s domain, she encounters what seems to be the Wizard of Oz, all smoke and fire. In the corner of the screen, we see a green curtain gradually opening up, with a mere man speaking into a microphone.
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We are ordered, “Do not pay attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Yet, to obey and to look away would be missing the entire essence of the story.
This is exactly what is happening at the UN, with António Guterres as its leader.
SEE ALSO: The UN’s Silence is Antisemitic: Antonio Guterres must go
Politicizing declarations of war crimes
In the UN’s own words, impartiality is “critically important for the United Nations […] in order to operate independently and effectively, especially in situations that are politically charged.” In contrast to its mandate, the UN is led by Secretary-General António Guterres, whose actions, rulings, and words are colored by a glaring bias and constant ant-Israel agenda.
This year, Israel has perplexingly been added to the UN’s blacklist of countries harming children in conflict zones. Indeed, Israel is the only democracy to be added to the list, which includes barbaric terror organizations like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram. Israel’s inclusion on this list comes some eight months following the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, as Israel fights an existential war of self-defense against the genocidal terror organization, Hamas.
Silence in the face of true injustice
For anyone paying attention, it is obvious that including Israel on the blacklist is a baseless, politically motivated decision. Perhaps even more disturbingly, it is part of a broader pattern in which countless self-proclaimed humanitarian organizations that are mandated to be neutral have been exposed as biased, corrupt, and antisemitic. Nowhere is this clearer than with the United Nations, with António Guterres at its helm.
Take, for example, Saudi Arabia’s recent appointment as the chair of the UN’s Gender Equality Forum. Saudi Arabia is a country where women had to fight for the right to drive, a ban which was only lifted in 2018, and where there remains an oppressive male guardianship in place. Even UN Women is forced to acknowledge that “work still needs to be done in Saudi Arabia to achieve gender equality.” How and why did this appointment not seem entirely inappropriate to António?
SEE ALSO: A worsening crisis of integrity: The United Nations is morally bankrupt
Even more distressing is the UN’s silence and apathy surrounding the horrific crisis in Sudan. According to the UN’s own reports, the crisis has caused“the displacement of more than 8.6 million people” and close to 25 million people are in need of assistance. Nevertheless, António chooses to minimize this conflict, in favor of his favorite pastime: demonizing Israel. Even as the UN halved its estimate of women and children killed in Gaza, Antonio felt compelled to spread an antisemetic blood libel. He misleadingly tweeted, “in speed & scale, the war in Gaza is the deadliest conflict in my time as Secretary-General.”
Complacency in the face of terror
António has shown serious lapses in judgment in his pandering stance against terrorism. There is ample evidence that Hamas is an integral part of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and vice versa. However, António has been utterly complacent as controversy after controversy has erupted. This includes proof that UNRWA staffers participated in the Oct. 7 massacre; that thousands of UNRWA teachers have widespread support for Hamas terrorism; and that UNRWA staffers steal and sell humanitarian aid.
Surely, terrorists and thieves on the UN’s payroll should be a major cause for concern, but not for António. Indeed, António will go to great lengths to transform his anti-Israel bias and antisemitic agenda into official UN policy. In fact, Hamas has even praised the UN Security Council in recent months.
Beyond that, António has shown a true alliance with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has a horrific human rights record towards its own people and supports proxy terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Yet, despite the terror the Islamic Republic of Iran unleashes within its borders and beyond, the Islamic Republic of Iran sits on the UN’s Human Rights Council. Moreover, Iran has been elected to the UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security, even as the country itself is committed to building a nuclear arsenal and has the capabilities to produce “three bombs within a month.”
Further, António expressed genuine mourning following the death of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19. President Raisi was nicknamed the “Butcher of Tehran” and presided over thousands of executions. Nevertheless, António made his personal feelings of sadness official UN policy with the flag flown at half-mast and an official statement of mourning.
In recent years and most certainly since Oct. 7, so much of our world has been about pulling the curtain back to see the truth. In our day, António has become a less majestic Wizard of Oz – all hot air and lies. The embodiment of weakness, cowardice, and incompetence.
António’s choice to ignore the suffering in Sudan, his nonchalance in handing out inappropriate appointments, his affinity for terrorists, and his hatred of the Jewish State are all features and not bugs of his dangerous vision. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this, he has been given an important role in the UN.
At this stage, we must ask ourselves who really is the man behind the curtain pulling António Guterres’ strings.
We must pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Our future depends on it.
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Danielle Ofek is an Israeli activist and a pioneering figure in tech and social entrepreneurship, known for her dynamic approach to gender parity and women’s rights. Recognizing a significant gap in the international community’s response to the sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women and girls on October 7th, Danielle founded Angle, an initiative aimed at addressing this critical issue.
Angle was born out of a necessity to challenge the prevalent misinformation and biases in the reporting and responses to these incidents. Under Danielle’s guidance, the initiative has been instrumental in redirecting the narrative towards a more accurate and unbiased portrayal of the events.
Over the past six years, Danielle has been actively involved in working with enterprises and corporations, focusing on bridging the gender parity divide. She has been a fervent advocate for encouraging women to ascend to leadership positions, a commitment that is evident in her groundbreaking work.
The #MeToo_Unless_UR_A_Jew campaign is one of Angle’s key projects, launched to bring these pressing issues into the spotlight of international discourse. This campaign reflects Danielle’s dedication to not just highlighting problems but actively seeking solutions and advocating for change.
In 2019, Danielle’s expertise and passion led her to speak at the UN - CSW63. There, she discussed women in tech as part of her project, Parliament51, further showcasing her commitment to empowering women in all sectors. Danielle’s work, both through Angle and her various other initiatives, positions her as a formidable force in the fight for women’s rights and gender equality on the global stage.
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