Israeli envoy rebukes Maltese UN diplomat, Momentum pledges support
Vanessa Frazier condemned the killing of Iranian school children
A Maltese diplomat's condemnation of a deadly attack on a school in Iran has earned a rebuke from Israel, and prompted support from political party Momentum.
Vanessa Frazier, who serves as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, was criticised by Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, after she issued a post condemning Saturday's attack and highlighting the impact of violence on children.
According to Iranian officials, 153 people, including children, have died after a reported strike hit a school in southern Iran.
In her capacity as the UN’s advocate for children affected by war, Frazier underlined the need to protect minors from the devastating consequences of armed conflict, stressing that attacks on schools and civilian infrastructure put young lives at grave risk.
In a post on X, Danon criticised Frazier’s remarks, accusing her of failing to sufficiently acknowledge the broader security context and Israel’s concerns regarding Iran.
On Tuesday, Momentum issued a statement expressing its “full square” support for Frazier, condemning what it described as an attack on a UN official “who was simply carrying out her duty by speaking up for the vulnerable and defending the rights of innocent children affected by conflict.”
Momentum leader Arnold Cassola said children “are the most vulnerable of creatures and have to be protected the world over, irrespective of their nationality.”
“Any government that targets children with violent actions, whether they are Israeli, Palestinian, Iranian, European or Maltese, should face the International Criminal Court in The Hague,” Cassola stated.
He added that Frazier, a former Maltese ambassador to the UN, “is to be commended for having highlighted the inhuman and cruel violence against children.”
In a pointed remark directed at Danon, Cassola said the Israeli government “would do itself a big favour if it removed such an insensitive human being from its diplomatic corps.”
A handout picture released by the Iranian Press Center shows of the body of a little girl reportedly killed in a missile strike on a girl's school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, southeastern Iran. Photo: AFP