Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday to reverse a decision to oust a senior official after she posted a tweet condemning Gaza terrorist rocket fire in the wake of Israel’s conflict with the Islamic Jihad terror group.
Erdan (pictured) said that the office headed by Sarah Muscroft, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, had “surrendered” to threats made by Palestinian activists and local Palestinian staff when it decided to remove her from her post.
“This norm effectively grants [them] an ‘unwritten veto’ over UN statements and stands in clear contradiction with the basic principles of objectivity and neutrality that the UN claims to hold,” Erdan wrote in a letter to Gutteres.
Muscroft prompted outrage from Palestinians and U.N. officials after a tweet hailing the ceasefire.
“Relieved to see a ceasefire agreed ending hostilities impacting both Palestinians and Israeli civilians,” she wrote following a 66-hour conflict that saw 1,100 rockets fired towards Israeli population centers.
“Such indiscriminate rocket fire of Islamic Jihad provoking Israeli retaliation is condemned. The safety of all civilians is paramount — the ceasefire must be upheld.”
Following a backlash, Muscroft deleted her initial tweet and apologized, writing: “One of my previous tweets was ill-informed and I have deleted it. I sincerely apologize for my poor judgment. All civilians – everywhere – must be able to live in peace.”
Former head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Sarah Muscroft. (HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)
Apparently that wasn’t enough to satisfy the rocket-loving pro-Palestinian public, as well as the U.N. itself, and Muscroft was forced to delete her account completely.
That too clearly wasn’t enough, and soon after a U.N. official announced that she would be removed from her post altogether and reassigned.
OCHA deputy spokesman Jens Laerke defended the decision thus: “OCHA has been present in the occupied Palestinian territory for the past 20 years, working to help meet humanitarian needs, guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and humanity. Over two million people in the occupied Palestinian territory need assistance — they remain our only focus and priority.”
In his letter to Guterres, Erdan acknowledged that Israel often disagreed with Muscroft’s positions, and expressed its opposition publicly but in the “normative way” of a democracy.
“Israel is disturbed to see that Palestinian outrage over tweets would so quickly devolve into ending the ability of a senior UN staffer to keep her job and to express herself. This represents a clear surrender of the UN to threats and intimidation, and poses a very problematic norm,” Erdan wrote.
“In the best case, this is a recipe for misguided self-censorship by UN officials. In the worst case, it is a prescription for UN officials to exclusively emphasize the Palestinian narrative, even if this falls in contradiction with facts on the ground, honest reporting, or Israel’s legitimate interests,” said Erdan.
He also pointed to an incident last year when the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Matthias Schmale, was forced to leave Gaza after he told Israel’s Channel 12 last year that the IDF used “huge sophistication” in targeting terrorists only and avoiding civilian casualties. The “pro-Israel” remark prompted rolling protests in Gaza, and Schmale received death threats.
He apologized for telling the truth but it wasn’t enough. Schmale was forced to leave Gaza for Jerusalem and six months later, left his post as the head of Palestinian refugees.
“Somehow, it is always open season to criticize Israel, with no repercussions; but if a U.N. staffer dares to speak against Palestinian terrorism, there is immediate backlash in fear of reprisal,” Erdan noted.
On the other hand, wrote Erdan, no such measures were taken against a member of a U.N. commission of inquiry into Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians after he claimed last month that the “Jewish lobby” controls social media.
“We ask that the issue of Ms. Muscroft be examined with utmost concern. We call on OCHA and the UN to reverse this unfortunate decision which is perceived as a reward for intimidation and threats. While Israel supports constructive engagement with UN officials and agencies, we cannot accept such blatant double standards,” the Israeli ambassador added.
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