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While the COI currently casts specific blame on three Israeli officials for alleged genocide, COI member Chris Sidoti told the press on Monday, “there are many, many statements by Israeli political and civilian leaders that incite genocide, and also by others, including some media commentators in Israel, that have been inciting genocide.” 

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, did not respond to questions on whether Sidoti’s remarks were an attack on Israel’s media. 

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu hold signs as he addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

In response to press questions about the COI report, Guterres said that “it is not in the attributions of the Secretary-General to do the legal determination of genocide. That belongs to the adequate judicial entities, namely, the International Court of Justice.” Guterres said, “the truth is that this is something that it is morally, politically, and legally intolerable.” 

Bayefsky said that “U.S. law withholds funds for the COI, but clearly it has not had the intended impact.” She argued it is “high time” to do a “lot more to terminate the dangers that the U.N. and its COI pose to both the United States and Israel.” 

Fox News Digital asked the State Department whether it intended to sanction COI members or prevent their travel to the U.N. for next week’s General Assembly debate. The State Department did not issue a response by press time.

A spokesperson for the COI did not respond to questions from Fox News Digital about its report.