‘I Was Hounded, Day In, Day Out’: Former UN Advisor on Genocide Was Pressured to Declare Genocide in Gaza

Latest Developments

• Nderitu Threatened for Not Declaring Gaza a Genocide: The UN’s former special advisor on the prevention of genocide, Alice Nderitu, described in an interview on February 1 the intense pressure and smear campaign she faced for not labeling the Gaza war a “genocide.” “I was hounded, day in, day out. Bullied, hounded, with protection from nobody,” said Nderitu, a Kenyan, who said she did not make the designation because she believed that a charge of “genocide” could only be determined in a court of law. Nderitu described receiving threats from inside and outside the United Nations, on social media and direct emails, as well as coordinated efforts to remove her from her post.
• ‘The Focus Was Always Israel’: During the interview with Air Mail, Nderitu pointed out, “This never happened for any other war. Not for Ukraine, not for Sudan, not for Democratic Republic of Congo, not for Myanmar. The focus was always Israel.” She emphasized that the conflict in Gaza was a war. “Palestinians were killing Israelis, Israelis were killing Palestinians. It needs to be treated like other wars. In other wars, we don’t run and take one side and then keep going on and on about that one side … By taking one side, condemning it every day, you completely lose the essence of what the UN was created for.”
• Sudan Genocide ‘Completely Ignored’: Nderitu recalled that throughout her four-year tenure from 2020-24, she tried to raise the alarm about other genocides, chief among them the genocide in Sudan targeting non-Arab, African ethnic groups, but “for these other situations, nobody seems to bother with what I say.” On December 24, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the leading agency studying famine worldwide, reported that at least five areas in Sudan are facing the highest level of famine, and five more areas are projected to be added before May 2025 — the worst case of famine in the world. Nderitu recalled Sudanese refugees telling her, “Right now, nobody is paying attention to our country,” and that “If there is ever peace and the cameras go in, you will face the most shocking thing of the century, a genocide that was completely ignored.”

FDD Expert Response

“The UN persecuted its own special advisor on the prevention of genocide, Alice Nderitu, for refusing to accuse Israel of genocide. The United States is the largest donor to the United Nations, contributing between one-quarter and one-third of the organization’s total budget. The United States must use its leverage to ensure that the United Nations starts implementing its founding principles and stops serving as a vehicle for the world’s most abusive governments to distract attention from their own violations by focusing UN resources on false accusations against Israel.” — Orde Kittrie, Senior Fellow

“What we have here is a horrifying depiction of the reality inside the United Nations: A diplomatically disguised antisemitic mob hell-bent on delegitimizing the world’s only Jewish state and helping terrorists carry out their genocidal aims. Ambassador-designate Stefanik should consider launching an investigation into what happened to Alice Nderitu and demand the secretary-general terminate employment for everyone involved in bullying, threats, harassment, and antisemitism.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

“The United Nations’ obsession with slamming Israel comes at the expense of the victims of actual crimes, not the imagined ones used to malign the Jewish state. The United Nations is a runaway train, far astray from its intended mission of protecting people and fighting for their rights across the globe. The United Nations’ rampant structural antisemitism requires far more than a simple course correction.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘Systematic Murder’: Biden Administration Calls Out Genocide in Sudan,” FDD Flash Brief

“Is Gaza Really the Biggest Case of Arab Suffering?” by Hussain Abdul-Hussain

“U.S. Rejects ‘Unfounded’ Genocide Claim in UN Report Targeting Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“More outrageous UN anti-Semitism: High-level official says Israel to blame for Palestinians murdering Jews,” by David May and Richard Goldberg

“How to Keep Antisemitism Away From Turtle Bay,” by David May and Richard Goldberg

“The Time is Now to Reform the UN Human Rights Apparatus,” by Orde Kittrie and Bruce Rashkow