For a moment there, it looked like we might be seeing history made : a United Nations secretary-general speaking honestly.
Ban Ki-moon’s remark came on a recent visit to Israel. During a model UN session in Jerusalem, an Israeli student suggested that Israelis don’t get a fair shake at the UN. Ban’s answer was refreshing for its clarity and candor:
“Unfortunately,” Ban said, “because of the conflict [between Israelis and Palestinians], Israel has been weighed down by criticism and suffered from bias — and sometimes even discrimination,” according to numerous news reports.” He further described the situation as “unfortunate.”
As with any truthful statement that manages to slip out from the UN, Ban’s turned out to be too good to be true. Two days later, Ban was back in his Turtle Bay headquarters. And no sooner had he returned, he reverted back to full UN mode: denial.
When a reporter on Monday noted he had admitted the discrimination against Israel, Ban flat-out reversed what he’d said. “No, I don’t think there is discrimination against Israel at the United Nations,” he told the reporters — dismissing claims of bias as just an issue raised by “the Israeli government.” Translation: it’s all in the Israelis’ heads.
An Israeli official summed it up well yesterday when he said Ban’s original statement “spoke the truth and showed moral leadership.” He might have added that Ban’s backtracking showed truth and moral leadership are apparently too much for the United Nations to handle.