UN official quits after report on Israel pulled

A senior UN official resigned on Friday over the withdrawal of a report accusing Israel of imposing an “apartheid regime” on Palestinians, saying “powerful member states” pressured the world body with “vicious attacks and threats”.

UN under-secretary general and executive secretary for the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rima Khalaf resigned after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for the report to be taken off the ESCWA website.

ESCWA said it was the first time a UN body had charged that Israel “has established an apartheid regime”.

Israel rejects the allegation and likened the report to Der Sturmer - a Nazi propaganda publication that was anti-Semitic. The US, an ally of Israel, said it was outraged. REUTERS