Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, center, in Brussels, June 9, 2024. Photo: BELGA via Reuters Connect

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has nominated former Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to lead one of the world’s most powerful UN agencies. If confirmed, De Croo would be ensconced in a role that gives him major influence over global aid flows, development priorities, and the international narrative around humanitarian crises — including in the Middle East, where he has the potential to greatly harm Israel and its best interests. 

De Croo has a long public record of hostility toward the Jewish State — including just last month, when he walked out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech. With a history of repeatedly accusing Israel of war crimes, and aligning diplomatically with Palestinian Arab extremists, he’s unfit for any UN role, and especially this one. He is not some neutral technocrat. This is a politician with a clear ideological agenda — now poised to turn that agenda into policy. 

If confirmed, De Croo wouldn’t just be giving speeches — he’d have real tools to act. As head of this UN agency, he would help decide where international development funds go, which governments and NGOs get access to money, and how humanitarian reports frame ongoing conflicts. He could deprioritize Israeli-led or Israeli-partnered projects, steer international attention toward anti-Israel narratives, and use donor influence to pressure nations to isolate Israel diplomatically and economically — all without needing approval from any democratic government. 

This UN position controls development priorities, shapes funding flows, and influences which narratives get amplified on the global stage. UN agencies publish reports that inform investors, guide donor funding, and affect international law enforcement decisions. A leader with a public track record of singling out Israel can tilt these levers to impose real costs, including restricted cooperation, reduced investment, and increased diplomatic isolation. This “soft power” is no less impactful than traditional diplomacy — especially for Israel, which relies heavily on international trade and partnerships. 

De Croo’s history makes clear that he would weaponize this influence. He has accused Israel of using “hunger as a weapon,” demanded “no more civilian killings,” and publicly met with Palestinian Arab leaders in ways that underscore his bias. In March 2024, while Israel was at war to try and rescue its hostages from Hamas terrorists, he conducted a multi-nation “criticize Israel” tour and visited Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt, De Croo specifically avoided stopping in Israel on this trip. By walking out during a speech by Israel’s prime minister, he sent a clear message that he believes in boycotts and protests rather than dialogue, at least when it comes to the Jewish State.

This nomination is not yet final — and that matters. The United States is the largest single contributor to the UN’s development system. American taxpayers help fund these programs, and Congress has every right to demand accountability for who leads them. A UN leader who walked out on the Israeli prime minister and regularly condemns Israel while remaining silent on Iran, China, and other oppressive regimes should not be rewarded with a powerful global post. 

There is still time to stop this appointment. Americans who believe in a fair and balanced approach to global development — and who reject using international institutions to bully democratic allies like Israel — should speak out. The evidence is clear. Giving De Croo a platform to turn that record into global policy at the already-hostile-to-Israel UN would be a mistake. 

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US diplomats, and pro-Israel advocacy groups should make one thing clear: this nomination is unacceptable.

Moshe Phillips is national chairman of Americans For A Safe Israel, AFSI (www.AFSI.org), a leading pro-Israel advocacy and education organization.