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‘F—k Him’: UN Special Rapporteur Blasts Netanyahu With Profane Social Media Post, Sparking Calls for Punishment
Tlaleng Mofokeng, the United Nations’ “special rapporteur on the right to health,” has come under fire for recently lambasting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a profane post on X/Twitter, expressing her discontent over the Jewish state’s military operations in Gaza.
“F—k him,” Mofokeng wrote last Sunday in response to a report that Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Force (IDF) not to begin the ceasefire in Gaza until the Hamas terrorist organization named the hostages it had agreed to release. Notably, the UN special rapporteur was responding to a news article from Al Jazeera, which receives funding from the government and has long been criticized for pushing an anti-Israel bias.
Israel insisted that Hamas violated the terms of the recently brokered ceasefire deal by refusing to submit the names of the three hostages to be released — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — 24 hours prior to their planned release.
“We will not move forward with the outline until we receive the list of hostages to be released, as agreed. Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,” Netanyahu said at the time. “The sole responsibility lies with Hamas.”
The dispute was later resolved and the hostages were released in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Warning: The social media post embedded below contains explicit language.
BREAKING: Top U.N. official deletes “F**k him” tweet about Israel’s leader. This comes despite Mofokeng’s expletive-filled tirade calling me an “evil scum” “white man” for having demanded that she be disciplined for her reckless and inappropriate conduct. https://t.co/ARhEj5l5mg https://t.co/EiIzsr728L pic.twitter.com/oIIvx5cTA1
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) January 23, 2025
Mofokeng’s post caught the attention of Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO that monitors the UN. After Neuer called for Mofokeng to be punished for her posts, the special rapporteur went on a tirade, rebuking Neuer as an “evil man, a “bastard,” and “scum” in a string of posts.
The UN special rapporteur has a history of issuing condemnations of Israel on social media. In February 2024, for example, Mofokeng wrote “that Hamas are not terrorists is fact.” She argued that previous UN resolutions defended the “legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity [the] liberation from colonial domination, apartheid [and] foreign occupation by ALL means, INCLUDING armed struggle.”
Then earlier this month, Mofokeng seemingly compared the Palestinian experience to her plight as a black South African under apartheid, writing, “I will continue to fight like hell for Gaza, Sudan, Congo because someone once fought like hell for me.”
She has also explicitly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza multiple times.
In October 2024, Mofokeng wrote that she felt “rage and fury” regarding the supposed “horrific genocidal acts” occurring “in real time in Gaza without any result from the international community.”
Last month, she penned a letter to Pope Francis, asking him to speak on “the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
“I reiterate the call to end the genocide, and for you Pope Francis to take all measures to end this evil,” Mofokeng wrote.
Israeli officials have long accused the UN of maintaining a bias against the Jewish state. In 2023, the UN General Assembly condemned Israel twice as often as it did all other countries. Meanwhile, of all the country-specific resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights Council, nearly half have condemned Israel, a seemingly disproportionate focus on the lone democracy in the Middle East.
Weeks following Hamas’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the UN adopted a resolution calling for a “ceasefire” between Israel and the terrorist group. The UN failed to pass a measure condemning the Hamas atrocities of Oct. 7.
In June, the UN put Israel on its so-called “list of shame” of countries that kill children in armed conflict. Israel is considered to be the only democracy on the list.
During US Senate confirmation hearings on Tuesday, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the next US ambassador to the UN, lambasted the “antisemitic rot” in the international body, vowing to restore “moral clarity” at the intergovernmental organization.
“If you look at the antisemitic rot within the United Nations, there are more resolutions targeting Israel than any other country, any other crisis combined,” Stefanik said.
The post ‘F—k Him’: UN Special Rapporteur Blasts Netanyahu With Profane Social Media Post, Sparking Calls for Punishment first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats
i24 News – The United States has begun sharing classified intelligence with Syria’s new leadership, led by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly designated as a terrorist organization, reports the Washington Post.
This unexpected collaboration comes in the wake of HTS overthrowing the Assad regime last month and reflects heightened US concerns about a potential resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to sources, US intelligence recently helped thwart a planned ISIS attack on a prominent Shiite shrine near Damascus.
Despite this cooperation, US officials stress that the intelligence-sharing arrangement does not signify full support for HTS, which has a controversial history of extremism.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known by his militant alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has made efforts to project a more moderate image, pledging to protect Syria’s religious minorities and stabilize the country.
However, skepticism remains about HTS’s ability to govern effectively and sustain efforts against ISIS.
The Biden administration, before leaving office, maintained HTS’s terrorist designation while easing sanctions on Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid. As the new US administration under President Donald Trump takes shape, questions loom about the future of American involvement in Syria and the ongoing military presence aimed at preventing an ISIS comeback.
The post US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List
i24 News – The second phase of hostage releases between Israel and Hamas has sparked deep frustration and grief among the families of those still held captive.
Two hostages—Arbel Yahud and Agam Berger—were notably excluded from the list of those to be freed on Saturday, despite earlier agreements prioritizing the return of civilians.
Arbel Yahud, 29, and Agam Berger, 20, both captives since the October 7 attack, were not included in the list of four hostages expected to be released.
Yahud, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was taken along with her partner, Ariel Cunio, whose family was freed in November. Yahud’s brother, Dolev, was later found dead in June after he was killed while trying to aid the wounded. Agam Berger, from Holon, was captured while stationed at Nahal Oz. Her family identified her in a video released by Hamas, showing her in pajamas being taken away in a vehicle after she called her father to alert him of the gunfire.
The omission of these two hostages has led to heightened concerns and calls for action from Israeli authorities, who are now exerting pressure on Hamas and mediators to honor the terms of the release agreement. Israeli officials reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the broader agreement, but warned that the failure to meet the agreed terms could harm future releases.
Adding to the grief, the Bibas family expressed their devastation when they learned that Shiri Bibas and her children, who were abducted from their Nir Oz home on October 7, were also absent from the second release list. In a heartfelt message shared on Saturday, the Bibas family shared their anguish: “Even though we were prepared for it, we were hoping to see Shiri and the children on the list that was supposed to be the civilian list.” The family voiced concerns over their loved one’s safety and questioned why, despite grave fears for their lives, their relatives were not included among the civilians due to be returned.
The Bibas family’s message emphasized their belief that the public must continue to demand answers, adding, “Thank you, dear supporters, for not giving up, for continuing to pray, to hope and to demand answers.
The post Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity
i24 News – After 477 harrowing days in captivity, four young Israeli women—Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa—have finally returned home.
The release took place Saturday morning in Gaza’s Palestine Square, under a carefully staged scene orchestrated by Hamas.
The four women, who served in a military observation unit in Nahal Oz, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Before their release, they were made to wear uniforms provided by Hamas and were paraded on a platform in front of a crowd of activists. Forced to smile and wave, the women endured the ordeal under the watchful eyes of Hamas fighters.
Once the formalities concluded, the women walked to waiting ICRC vehicles, accompanied by representatives of the organization. Upon reaching Israeli forces, IDF medical teams immediately conducted examinations. At the meeting point, the first female officers who greeted them informed the women that their families were watching live. Overcome with emotion, the former hostages smiled at the cameras, sending heartfelt gestures to their loved ones.
Footage later released by the IDF captured a poignant moment: the four women removing the uniforms given to them by Hamas and embracing Israeli officers. These emotional scenes underscored the end of a long and grueling chapter in their lives.
The women were transported to the Reim reception center, where their families eagerly awaited them. After 477 days of separation, the reunions were deeply moving, marking a moment of relief and joy.
However, the release was not without complications. A fifth military observer, Agam Berger, remains in captivity, and Hamas failed to uphold its agreement to release civilian hostage Arbel Yahud, who was originally included in the liberation group. The breach of terms has drawn widespread condemnation, intensifying efforts to secure the release of those who remain captive.
This momentous event brings a mix of celebration and determination, as Israel continues to work tirelessly for the freedom of all hostages still held in Gaza.
The post Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.