UN chief urges ‘all leaders’ to speak out against antisemitic, anti-Muslim rhetoric

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday urged all leaders to stand up against antisemitic and anti-Muslim language amid the war between Israel-Hamas.

“I call on all leaders to speak out against antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and hate speech of all kinds,” Guterres said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

In the days following the beginning of the airstrikes between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, nations around the world fear a rise in violence and hate as groups clash over who they support in the ongoing conflict.

“This is a time for the international community to come together around protecting civilians and finding a lasting solution to this unending cycle of death and destruction,” Guterres said.

On Thursday, France banned all pro-Palestinian protests that could lead to violence amid fears of rising antisemitism in Europe.

In New York City, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held rallies after a former Hamas leader called for global protests. A former leader called for a “day of rage” Friday and many U.S. cities boosted security amid fears of violence. Authorities put up fencing around U.S. Capitol and some schools canceled class Friday.

College campuses across the U.S. have also seen tensions rise over the war after several students groups released statements supporting the West Bank's effort toward freedom.

A majority of U.S. lawmakers have been outspoken in support of Israel in its mission to defend itself against Hamas after they attacked the country last week. As Israel ramped up its counterattack, a group of progressive lawmakers have urged President Biden to respond to Israel’s retribution.

The Israel Defense Force announced Friday that 1 million residents of Gaza City had 24 hours to evacuate, ahead of a possible ground operation. People were fleeing the city and heading southward, but many officials are concerned that it’s impossible for that many people to evacuate in the given time period.

The group of U.S. lawmakers said they were “deeply concerned” about Israel’s evacuation order.

Biden said Saturday that he was working with Israel, several other countries and the UN “to ease the humanitarian consequences” of the attack.