As the Committee to Protect Journalists conducts a full review of its database after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad identified some people listed as slain journalists as members of their terror groups, Israel’s U.N. ambassador Danny Danon said the misidentification of terrorists reflects a broader pattern of the United Nations accepting allegations against Israel without sufficient scrutiny.
“A claim is made against Israel. The U.N. repeats it, the world condemns it, then the truth comes out,” Danon told the U.N. Security Council on Monday during its monthly meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian file. “No apology, no correction, no retraction. They move on. Israel will not.”
Holding up a photograph of Mohammed Naser Abu Huwaidi, who was killed in Gaza in late 2023, Danon noted that Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, publicly condemned his death, identifying him as a journalist. Earlier this year, Palestinian Islamic Jihad listed Abu Huwaidi among its members killed during the war.
“UNESCO’s condemnation was public. Its correction? Still missing,” Danon said.
Danon also criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for saying in a speech last week that Israel had killed Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed Wishah. Citing previously released footage, Danon said Wishah was “armed in the streets of Gaza” and described him as “a sniper in Hamas’ military wing.” Israel has released video and photographs that it says show Wishah operating as a Hamas terrorist.
“This is the pattern,” the Israeli envoy said. “Hamas makes a claim, the NGO ecosystem repeats it, a U.N. report rubber-stamps it, the world’s media broadcasts it and Israel is condemned before the facts are even checked.”
Danon also pointed to the October 2024 Israeli strike that killed Mohammed Abu Itiwi, an employee of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. At the time, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres referred to Abu Itiwi as “another one of our UNRWA colleagues.”
“But who was that colleague?” Danon asked. “A Hamas Nukhba commander. A terrorist involved in the Oct. 7 massacre near Re’im. UNRWA worker or a terrorist? Again, you tell us.”
