New York, NY, August 30, 2017 …

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today praised United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Antonio Guterres for a meaningful first visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories and particularly welcomed his significant remarks referring to calls for Israel’s destruction as a “form of modern anti-Semitism.”

            “It was heartening to hear U.N. Secretary General Guterres unequivocally state that calls for the Jewish state’s destruction are a form of  anti-Semitism,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “These remarks, along with his recognition of the daily security and terror threats faced by Israelis, send a clear message and are an important signal that the Secretary General understands the challenges Israel faces in the region.”

ADL also voiced concern regarding the Secretary General’s remarks about the blockade of the Gaza Strip, saying that Mr. Guterres should have placed more onus on the Hamas leadership for the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In June, ADL expressed regret regarding what it called an “incomplete and misleading” statement issued by Secretary Guterres on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War, and in March, commended the Secretary General for making clear that a hostile and biased UN report on Israel does not reflect his stance.