US, Israel criticise UN staff over Gaza war stance amid protests, documents show

GENEVA - The United States and Israel have sent complaint letters to top United Nations officials contesting the impartiality of their staff over the Gaza war, documents showed, as hundreds of UN staff protested outside its European headquarters on Sept 18.

UN staff carried placards saying “Peace for Gaza” and “Not a Target”. They laid over 370 white roses next to a memorial plaque in Geneva to represent each UN aid worker killed in the nearly two-year war.

“Today, the UN staff are coming together to say that enough is enough, to say that we cannot kill our colleagues in Gaza with such impunity and to say stop to all these murders,” Ms Nathalie Meynet, president of the UN refugee agency staff council, told Reuters at the protest.

The letters highlight the rising tensions between the UN and its top funder, the US, which has already disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council over what Washington says is its anti-Israel stance.

Israel’s UN Ambassador denounces event

Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva Daniel Meron wrote ahead of the event to the director-general of the United Nations’ Geneva office Tatiana Valovaya denouncing the event.

“UN staff are not activists or political actors... Those who incite and participate in such politically charged activities should face disciplinary measures, including suspension,” his letter dated Sept 10 showed.

Ms Severine Deboos, one of the events’ organisers, denied that its purpose was political: “The message is in honour of our colleagues (in Gaza) and to thank them,” she said.

Israel says it takes care to avoid civilian deaths in its war with Hamas.

‘Grave violation of neutrality’

Several hundred people joined in the protest and a minute of silence in the bright Geneva sunshine outside the UN building.

Earlier this week, a thousand UN employees joined an online briefing with Ms Francesca Albanese – a UN independent expert whose criticism of Israel has led to US sanctions.

Both Israel’s Meron and US Charge d'Affaires Tressa Finerty complained to Ms Valovaya about the call, with the latter saying in her Sept 16 e-mail that the matter would also be raised with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

“This is a grave violation of the UN’s principle of neutrality on multiple levels,” said Ms Finerty in an e-mail.

“If UN staff during the UN workday, using UN e-mail addresses and UN computers on UN-supplied smartphones, participate in this Teams meeting, there can be no dodging the charge that the UN is systematically and uniquely anti-Israel and, because of that, antisemitic.” 

A staff union member confirmed the Albanese meeting but said it involved core UN work.

The US diplomatic mission in Geneva declined to comment. A UN spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Unprecedented UN staff losses in Gaza war

Since the Oct 7, 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict began, some 543 aid workers have been killed in Gaza including 373 UN staff and team members, according to UN data, making the scale of losses unprecedented in the body’s 80-year history. 

Under Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service adopted by the UN, staff are advised not to take sides or express their convictions publicly on controversial matters. 

UN staff representatives received a management note on Sept 17 asking them to stay impartial on the Gaza conflict, according to a confidential memo seen by Reuters.

Under-secretary-general for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance Catherine Pollard on Sept 17 acknowledged that the loss of colleagues had caused “immense suffering”, adding: “I want to remind you that staff associations should not organise or promote activities that may be perceived as political in nature,” the letter said, warning of risks for the organisation. 

Mr Yousra Ahmed, a UN staff worker at the protest said: “It’s not a question of neutrality. I'm just outraged that the rules of the United Nations and humanitarian law are not being applied.” REUTERS