Israeli media eye Rebeca Grynspan's Jewish identity as she emerges as UN chief frontrunner

Israeli media eye Rebeca Grynspan's Jewish identity as she emerges as UN chief frontrunner Elis Gjevori on Sun, 08/09/2026 - 18:16 The Costa Rican diplomat has emerged as an early favourite, attracting cautious approval from Israeli media Candidate for the selection and appointment of the next United Nations secretary-general, Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan speaks as she takes part in a debate organised by GWL Voices, in Geneva, on 9 June 2026 (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP) Off Israeli media have highlighted the Jewish background and family ties of Rebeca Grynspan to the country as she emerges as the early frontrunner to become the next United Nations secretary-general. If selected, the Costa Rican economist and diplomat would become the first woman, first Central American and first Jewish person to lead the organisation. Grynspan secured 10 "encourage" votes, four "no opinion" votes and one "discourage" vote in the Security Council's first secret straw poll held on 30 July.  The five permanent and 10 elected members assessed seven candidates, without publicly revealing how individual countries voted. Although further rounds could reshuffle the contest, receiving only one objection places Grynspan in a strong opening position. The Security Council is expected to settle on a candidate by October. Any of its five permanent members can effectively end her campaign with a veto. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Antonio Guterres, the current secretary-general, will complete his second term on 31 December. Under the UN's informal regional rotation, his successor is widely expected to come from Latin America. Israeli family ties Grynspan, who leads the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), was born into a Jewish family in Costa Rica in 1955.  Her parents were European Jewish refugees who fled persecution in the lead-up to the Second World War, while members of her extended family were killed in the Nazi