Annalena Baerbock Elected UN General Assembly President Amid Outcry Over Support for Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

New York (Quds News Network)- Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), despite sharp criticism over her support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Baerbock ran unopposed and won with a simple majority vote. Russia requested a secret ballot, but the outcome was a formality. Her term will begin on September 9, ahead of the UN’s 2025 general debate. She will serve for one year.

Baerbock becomes the fifth woman to hold the ceremonial post in the UNGA’s 80-year history. She pledged to be a “unifier” and to modernize the UN, promising reforms that include more inclusion and financial efficiency.

But her appointment has sparked backlash. Critics say her nomination reflects hypocrisy in the UN system during an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Baerbock has been a vocal supporter of Israel’s genocide in Gaza since October 2023. As Germany’s foreign minister, she repeatedly defended Israel’s crimes. She stood against South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice, calling it “baseless,” and blocked calls for a ceasefire in Gaza at key moments. Germany, under Baerbock’s leadership, continued to send weapons and military support to Israel, even as civilian deaths mounted.

Former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber sharply criticized Baerbock’s election. He wrote: “The United Nations was born in opposition to German war criminals. Today, it has elected a German war criminal to oversee its accelerating decline. Eighty years later, the Reich takes its revenge with Annalena Baerbock as UNGA President, in the midst of a genocide that she has enthusiastically abetted.”
He ended the statement with “#Shame.”

The German government defended its decision. Government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit called Baerbock “highly qualified.” Another official, Sebastian Fischer, said her leadership would boost Germany’s influence at the UN, especially in the Security Council.

Baerbock herself said her selection mirrored “many predecessors” who also held top diplomatic positions.

As foreign minister, Baerbock promoted a “feminist foreign policy.” Yet, rights groups accuse her of applying double standards — speaking of human rights while backing Israel’s targeting of mainly women and children.