Open Letter to the United Nations and its Member States

Subject: Request to initiate procedures to revoke the participation of Benjamin Netanyahu in UN bodies and to activate measures consistent with International Law

 
To:

Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ms. Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly
Permanent Missions of the UN Member States
 
Introduction
We address you with a sense of urgency and institutional respect to request the immediate initiation of procedures to revoke the participation of Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu in the bodies and forums of the United Nations, due to his alleged responsibility in serious violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law, as well as his repeated disregard of binding international judicial decisions.

 
Specific Demands
That the General Assembly initiate a credentials challenge under its rules, rejecting the accreditation of any delegation headed by, or including, Mr. Netanyahu, until there is verifiable compliance with existing international judicial orders and full cooperation with the competent judicial bodies.
That Member States promote in the Security Council, and in case of blockage through the “Uniting for Peace” procedure in the General Assembly, additional measures of accountability, including the suspension of rights or the expulsion of Israel as a Member State, given the persistence of grave and systematic violations.
That all States cooperate with the International Criminal Court in enforcing the arrest warrants currently issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and others, recognizing that official position does not exempt from international criminal responsibility.
That all UN bodies and agencies condition any invitation, platform, or participation of Netanyahu on effective compliance with the orders of the International Court of Justice concerning Gaza, in particular those requiring to halt military operations and guarantee humanitarian access.
That Member States give immediate effect to the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 2024, which declared the Israeli presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories illegal and imposed upon all States the obligation of non-recognition, non-assistance, and cooperation to bring that situation to an end.
 
Legal Foundations
The General Assembly’s credentials mechanism allows for the examination and rejection of representatives’ credentials when a government’s conduct flagrantly contradicts the principles of the Charter. Historical precedents exist, such as the exclusion of apartheid South Africa.
The International Court of Justice has issued provisional measures which Israel has disregarded, including the order to halt operations in Rafah and to allow immediate humanitarian access. These measures are binding, and their violation deepens international responsibility.
The ICJ Advisory Opinion of 2024 declared the occupation illegal and affirmed that States must refrain from recognizing or assisting that situation, and must cooperate to end it.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other senior officials, on the basis of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Rome Statute establishes the irrelevance of official capacity to evade responsibility.
The UN Charter provides for suspension and expulsion of a State that persistently violates its fundamental principles. While it requires a Security Council recommendation, the General Assembly may act under the “Uniting for Peace” mechanism to recommend collective measures.
The Headquarters Agreement and precedents such as the case of Yasser Arafat in 1988 show that the Assembly may relocate sessions outside New York if the host country obstructs participation, demonstrating that procedural alternatives exist when the legitimacy of representation is at stake.
 
Immediate Operational Requests
To the Presidency of the General Assembly and the Credentials Committee: to immediately place on the agenda a credentials challenge against any delegation including Netanyahu and to recommend its rejection until verifiable compliance with international orders is achieved.
To the States Parties to the Rome Statute: to publicly reaffirm their duty of cooperation with the ICC regarding the current arrest warrants, and to take all necessary measures to facilitate their enforcement.
To all UN Member States: to comply with the ICJ Advisory Opinion by refraining from offering official platforms to Netanyahu while non-compliance persists.
 
Closing
The moral and legal authority of the United Nations depends on the consistency between its principles and its practices. Revoking the participation of Benjamin Netanyahu, while arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court and binding measures from the International Court of Justice weigh upon him, is not a symbolic gesture but the minimum fulfillment of the obligations assumed by the States and by the Organization itself.

With respect, firmness, and in the spirit of legality,

👉 We, the undersigned, citizens of the world, in the name of the peoples who give legitimacy to the United Nations, demand that this voice be heard and taken into account.

Our petition does not arise from political interest but from a commitment to life, dignity, and justice. We remind those who occupy seats in the Assembly and in the Council that these places belong to them as representatives of the peoples, and it is to us —to humanity— that they must answer.

 
📚 Annex: Legal references and precedents
General Assembly Rules of Procedure, Rules 27–29 (Credentials Committee).
Precedent: credentials challenge against South Africa during apartheid.
UN Charter, Articles 5 and 6 (suspension and expulsion of States).
Resolution 377 (V) “Uniting for Peace” (1950).
ICJ, Provisional Measures, South Africa v. Israel, Order of 24 May 2024.
ICJ, Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation, 19 July 2024.
ICC, Rome Statute, Article 27 (irrelevance of official capacity).
ICC, Arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and others, 21 November 2024.
Precedent: relocation of the General Assembly session to Geneva in 1988 after denial of a visa to Yasser Arafat.