António Guterres is currently serving the final year of his tenure as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which is scheduled to conclude on 31 December 2026. His replacement will not be an easy task and requires great caution. This is not due to his positive performance, but to the danger that seemingly kind and peaceful people may in fact be incorrigible communists and passionate servants of the combined interests of the radical left and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Almost a decade ago, Guterres fooled everyone who didn't know him to be invested in the pompous post of UN Secretary-General. While he was initially viewed as a "friend of Israel" with no record of remarkable anti-Israel statements prior to his UN appointment, his tenure has seen a significant breakdown in relations with the Israeli government and the Jewish world.
In 2017, early in his term, he marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 war by stating that the Israeli occupation imposes a "heavy humanitarian and development burden" on Palestinians, shouting against the "suffocating occupation", and urged for the creation of a Palestinian state. "There is no Plan B", "There is no Plan B".
In 2018, Guterres made several criticisms regarding Israel, primarily focusing on the escalating violence in Gaza, the expansion of settlements, and the status of Jerusalem. He repeatedly called for "independent and transparent investigations" into the deaths of Palestinian protesters during the "Great March of Return". and reiterated that "there is no Plan B" to the two-state solution. Besides, he condemned Israel's continued settlement activity in the West Bank, asserting they are "illegal under international law" and represent a major obstacle to peace.
In 2019, Guterres repeatedly addressed that Palestinians have endured "more than a half-century of occupation and denial of their legitimate right to self-determination". He warned that a "succession of unilateral actions" threatened to torpedo the possibility of peace. "There is no plan B", "There is no plan B", he repeated countless times, like the hand of a clock ticking away seconds, minutes, and hours.
In 2020, Guterres made several high-profile statements regarding Israel, primarily focusing on its plans for West Bank annexation to prevent terrorism and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He warned that such a move would be a "most serious violation of international law" and would "grievously harm" the prospect of a two-state solution. Following the release of the Trump administration's "Peace to Prosperity" plan, Guterres maintained that any resolution must be based on long-standing UN resolutions and international law rather than unilateral proposals.
In 2021, with the Hamas aggression on Israel, Guterres described the 11-day conflict as a "senseless cycle of bloodshed, terror, and destruction", and noted a "systematic lack of accountability for Israeli violations against Palestinian children". He stated that if there is a "hell on earth," it is the lives of children in Gaza, and he expressed deep concern over the high number of child fatalities resulting from Israeli airstrikes.
In 2022, Guterres raised once again his favorite flag, "There is no plan B" about the two states perspective. The clock was ticking all the time. He claimed against the "devastating cycles of violence", "profoundly alarming" situation in the occupied West Bank, citing military operations, settler violence, and discriminatory policies as drivers of displacement for Palestinians
In 2023, Guterres told the UN Security Council that the October 7 Hamas attacks "did not happen in a vacuum," noting that the Palestinian people had been subjected to "56 years of suffocating occupation". He didn't condemn the Hamas attacks. Israeli officials interpreted this as justifying terrorism and called for his resignation.
In 2024, Guterres added the Israeli military (IDF) to a global "blacklist" of countries and organizations that commit violations against children during armed conflict. In addition, following an Iranian missile attack on Israel, Guterres was stunned and pondering what he would do to avoid alienating his institutional supporters. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared him persona non grata (banned from entering the country), claiming he failed to "unequivocally condemn" the attack immediately.
In 2025, Guterres described Israel's military operations in Gaza as "fundamentally wrong," citing a "total neglect" for civilian lives and the destruction of the territory. He further stated there were "strong reasons to believe" that Israeli forces had committed war crimes. Worst, since the start of the Gaza conflict, Guterres has repeatedly accused Israel of inflicting "collective punishment" on the Palestinian people. He has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "morally, politically, and legally intolerable".
Finally, in 2026, on March 19, Guterres issued a direct warning to Israel and the United States regarding their military campaign against Iran. He stated it is "high time to end this war" before it gets "completely out of control". Speaking in Brussels, flanked by another Portuguese who is trying to learn to speak English in order to have an "international career", Guterres urged for the "force of the law to prevail over the law of force".
Portugal cannot be confused with the figure of António Guterres. The kingdom was founded nine centuries ago. Science, ingenuity, economic resources and an intelligence network abroad were some of the Jewish skills. The role of the Jews in the administration of the country transformed Portugal from a small county to an Empire with 13 million km2. They spoke all languages. Guterres abandons three decades of work with international organizations—beginning with the "Socialist International"—without knowing how to speak English correctly.
