After a long silence, the sirens wailed across Israel once more. The sound registered in my muscles before my mind could even process it; my body was already moving toward the bunker. That is the reality of life here—survival becomes an ingrained instinct. But this time, the sirens did not signal an attack. They echoed across the nation to mark Memorial Day, a solemn moment of silence dedicated to fallen soldiers and the victims of terror.

I stood still, letting the sound wash over me. Every time I hear that wail, my mind returns to the same painful place: to those eleven young Nepali students—our brothers—who were murdered in the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Alumim. They had come here with dreams of working, learning, and building a future for themselves. Now, they are simply gone.

I think about the white vehicles, too. We cannot allow ourselves to forget what has since come to light—that Hamas systematically exploited UNRWA warehouses, facilities, and apartments as part of its operational infrastructure. It is a devastating reality that a United Nations agency established to serve refugees was, as Israeli authorities and independent investigations have shown, utilized during the attacks. This betrayal only underscores why many now view the UN as a bitterly divided organization struggling to fulfill its founding promise.

In those two minutes, the entire country grinds to a halt. Cars pull over on the highways, and people stand on the sidewalks with their heads bowed in collective grief. I stood there, too. I remembered everything—especially that darkest day.

The halls of the United Nations in New York are buzzing with more than just the usual diplomatic chatter. With Secretary-General António Guterres set to depart on the end of 2026, the race to lead an increasingly “embattled” global body has officially begun

For those of us who care deeply about the moral compass of international institutions, this election isn’t just about a job title; it’s about whether the UN can claw its way back from what some are calling a “financial Armageddon” and a period of deep global distrust.

This year, the field is narrow. While 2016 saw 13 candidates, we are currently looking at just four major contenders. But for the Jewish community and supporters of Israel, one name stands out with a story that resonates across generations.

Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica): The Daughter of Survivors Who Remembers Why the UN Was Born

If history has a candidate in this race, it’s Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica.

At 70, she already leads UNCTAD, the UN’s trade and development body, and she has the diplomatic scars to prove her worth — most notably, brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv at the height of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That alone would be a remarkable line on any résumé.

But Grynspan’s story runs deeper than her CV. She is the daughter of Jewish parents who barely survived the Holocaust before finding refuge in Costa Rica. When she speaks about the UN Charter — born from the ashes of World War II — she does so not as a bureaucrat reciting text, but as someone for whom those words carry the weight of lived memory. She has described the Charter as a standing warning against the perils of dehumanization, distrust, and fragmentation. Coming from her, it doesn’t sound like a speech. It sounds like a personal vow.

For a world that forgets too quickly, Grynspan’s candidacy is a reminder of why the UN was built in the first place.

Rafael Grossi (Argentina): The Nuclear Watchdog Who Knows Where the Real Dangers Lie

If Grynspan speaks to the UN’s moral origins, Rafael Grossi speaks to its most pressing present-day dangers.

The 65-year-old Argentine has led the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2019, navigating one nuclear flashpoint after another — tracking Iran’s enrichment program, monitoring the Zaporizhzhia plant as shells fell nearby. For anyone anxious about Israel’s security, his name is already well known. Washington and Moscow both watch his candidacy closely, which is itself telling. His pitch is direct: a return to the UN’s founding promise of protecting humanity from the scourge of war. In an era when that promise feels almost quaint, his experience gives it teeth.

Michelle Bachelet (Chile): A Survivor of Tyranny Facing a Crisis of Her Own

Rounding out the field are two former heads of state, each carrying real political gravity.

Michelle Bachelet, 74, was Chile’s first female president and later served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. A socialist who was imprisoned and tortured under Pinochet, she brings a kind of moral authority that can’t be manufactured. Her challenge?

Chile’s new government has withdrawn its support — a damaging blow to any candidacy, no matter how personally compelling.

Macky Sall (Senegal): The Outsider Challenging the Latin American Convention

Then there’s Macky Sall, 64, former President of Senegal and the only candidate not from Latin America. His campaign centers on the inseparable connection between development and peace — a message that resonates across the Global South. But his path is complicated: the African Union has been lukewarm at best, and his domestic record has drawn criticism over his handling of unrest at home.

The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher

Whoever wins this race inherits a house on fire.

The UN is in a budget crisis of near-existential proportions, driven in large part by the United States refusing to pay its dues. The organization is bitterly divided. Its credibility has taken hit after hit — from Gaza to Ukraine — leaving many to ask, plainly: is this institution still fit for purpose?

The selection process doesn’t help restore confidence. Despite the transparency reforms introduced in 2016 — public Q&A sessions where all 193 member states can question the candidates — the final decision still rests entirely with the five permanent Security Council members. Their vetoes, their politics, their interests.

And Washington has already put its cards on the table. U.S. envoy Mike Waltz made clear that the next Secretary-General must align with “American values and interests.” There is loud advocacy for the first-ever female leader of the UN, but Washington says it will back the best candidate — full stop, no gender or geography guarantees.

Watch this race. Watch it carefully.

The next Secretary-General will either breathe new life into a struggling institution or preside over its continued decline. Whether it’s the daughter of Holocaust survivors who understands in her bones what the UN was meant to prevent, or a nuclear watchdog who has spent years staring down the world’s most dangerous regimes — what the world needs, and what Israel in particular cannot afford to do without, is a leader who chooses truth over theater, and principle over silence.

The UN’s soul is up for grabs. The question is who’s willing to fight for it.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)