Why Israel Is in Big Trouble With New UN Secretary António Guterres

By Mike Shoesmith

Photo: Wikipedia

Guterres was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of Socialist International from 1999 to 2005.

What is the Socialist International?

The Socialist International is a worldwide association of political parties, most of which seek to establish democratic socialism. It consists mostly of democratic socialist, social-democratic and labour political parties and other organisations. Socialist International has close ties through membership with left-wing Puerto Rican Independence Party, as well as former Communist parties such as the Democratic Party of the Left of Italy and the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique.

Why Benjamin Netanyahu (and by extension Israel) should watch his back.

In an October issue of the Jerusalem Post, writer GIL HOFFMAN used the title “NEW UN CHIEF GUTERRES ‘A FRIEND OF ISRAEL’.” In the article the writer quotes former Labor Party leaders Shimon Peres and Ehud Barack who served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001 when he was defeated by then Likud leader Ariel Sharon. 

Here comes the shocker.

The Labor Party is associated with supporting the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, pragmatic foreign affairs policies and social democratic economic policies. The party is a member of the Socialist International and Progressive Alliance (a who’s who of hundreds of global communist progressive political parties) , and is an observer member of the Party of European Socialists.

Contrast with Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

Founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin, the Likud Party is a center-right Israel-first secular party, meaning, no religious affiliation. Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud’s current leader and the country’s Prime Minister, will face stiff opposition in the UN from the new Secretary General, António Guterres, a communist, who remains in close contact with Peres and former prime minister Ehud Barak, who both served under him in top posts in the Socialist International.

An even bigger shocker!

In the Jerusalem Post article the writer goes on to report statements by Ehud Barak who said. “His (Guterres’) views are closer to those of [Israeli writer] Amos Oz than [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. His stances reflect those of the world. The world’s view of Israel is that it hopes to see a different Israel. If the government would act differently, it could change how Israel is seen.”

Who is Amos Oz?

Amos Oz is an Israeli writer, novelist, journalist and intellectual. He is also a professor of literature at Ben-Gurion University in Beersheba. He is regarded as Israel’s most famous living author.

Oz was one of the first Israelis to advocate a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict after the Six-Day War. He did so in a 1967 article “Land of our Forefathers” in the Labor newspaper Davar. “Even unavoidable occupation is a corrupting occupation,” he wrote. In 1978, he was one of the founders of Peace Now. He does not oppose (and in 1991 advocated) the construction of an Israeli West Bank barrier, but believes that it should be roughly along the Green Line, the 1949 Armistice line between Israel and Jordan. He has also advocated that Jerusalem be divided into numerous zones, not just Jewish and Palestinian zones, including one for the Eastern Orthodox, one for Hasidic Jews, an international zone, and so on.