“The fires burning in Palestine and Los Angeles today are symptoms of the same disease: a system that values conquest over conservation, profit over people, and expansion over existence,” the UN Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese stated.
By Rachel Avraham
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, drew a comparison between the Los Angeles wildfires and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, The Jewish Chronicle reported. The post on social media, which was shared by Mondoweiss, known to be an anti-Israel publication, stated, “The fires burning in Palestine and Los Angeles today are symptoms of the same disease: a system that values conquest over conservation, profit over people, and expansion over existence.”
Albanese is not the first to compare the situation in Gaza to the Los Angeles wildfires. Indeed, the Iranian regime, Qatari journalists, Fatah and other anti-Semites across the world have made similar comparisons. However, UN Watch and numerous others have noted that it is unbecoming for a UN official to adopt such anti-Semitic rhetoric: “According to its own rules, the UNHRC was obliged to give “paramount importance” to “impartiality” when selecting mandate-holders. Yet Albanese is the opposite of impartial.”
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, told Arutz Sheva that Albanese perpetuates antisemitic tropes. “In the modern incarnation of the Der Stürmer slogan ‘The Jews are our misfortune,’ the UN’s Francesca Albanese is actually blaming Israel for the Los Angeles fires. All symptoms of ‘the same disease,’” he wrote. Neuer urged action from nations including the US, France, Germany, and Britain to expel Albanese from the UN, calling her “an antisemite.”
UN Watch published a 59-page report titled, “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Why Democracies Should Sanction UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese For Propagating Antisemitism and Supporting Terrorism.” In the report, UN Watch documented Albanese long history of anti-Semitism: “On her application, Albanese was asked whether she holds “any views or opinions that could prejudice the manner in which the candidate discharges the mandate.” She replied “No.” Yet just the year prior, Albanese had acknowledged the opposite, saying her “deeply held personal views” on the Palestinian issue “could compromise my objectivity.” Indeed, prior to her 2022 appointment, Albanese had said Israel is “keeping captive millions of civilians,” organized a panel on “Israel Apartheid,” and campaigned for an arms embargo against Israel.”
UN Watch continued, “On her application, Albanese also certified no personal conflicts of interest, failing to disclose that her husband, who compares Palestinians to Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto resisting the Nazis, formerly worked for the Palestinian Authority.” UN Watch noted this has affected immensely how Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Palestine, did her job. While theoretically the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine could also hold Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine responsible for their atrocities, in practice, Albanese has only pointed her accusatory fingers at Israel.
UN Watch noted in the report, “Since her appointment on April 1, 2022, Francesca Albanese has routinely spread antisemitism and openly supported Hamas terrorism.” According to the report, Albanese mocked the statement of French President Emmanuel Macron that the October 7 atrocities by Hamas constituted the greatest antisemitic massacre of our century. Instead, she claimed that the victims were “not killed because of their Judaism,” but rather “in reaction to Israel’s oppression.”
Ms. Albanese was condemned by both France and Germany for antisemitism when she denied that the October 7 Hamas massacre was the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, instead justifying it as a “reaction to Israel’s oppression.” France labeled her remarks “scandalous” and “a disgrace,” while Germany described them as “appalling” and “a disgrace.” Both denounced her justification of the terror attacks and her denial of their antisemitic nature. Albanese’s antisemitism has also been condemned by Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.
However, it took time for America, Germany and France to act to condemn her. Before she attacked President Macron’s remarks, Albanese’s immediate reaction on October 7, 2023 was to justify the horrific Hamas attack, stating, “Today’s violence must be put in context.” Instinctively, UN Watch noted that on the day of the worst massacre and sadistic torture of Jews since the Holocaust, Albanese blamed Israel for “aggression.” A few days after October 7, Albanese claimed that “Hamas’ crimes including rape” had not been confirmed, and that divulging information about the perpetration of rape by Hamas risked “to escalate tensions and endanger lives in a volatile context.” Since then, she has empowered rape denialists who claim that the mass rapes and other forms of sexual torture that took place on October 7 did not occur.
However, Albanese did not stop at denying Hamas atrocities. She also justified acts of Hamas terrorism by pointing the accusatory finger at Israel. Albanese blamed the October 7 Hamas atrocities on Israeli policies that had “turned some of the people into these individuals full of rage and vengeance.” She said on another instance that given “the occupation,” the Palestinians had no other choice to implement the October 7 terror attack: “So excuse me, what did the Palestinians have to do…I’m just asking what they are left with?” Speaking at a Hamas Conference, the UN Special Rapporteur actually gave moral support to Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups: “You have a right to resist this occupation.” She added: “Israel says ‘resistance equals terrorism,’ but an occupation requires violence and generates violence.”
In the report, UN Watch “called on all UN member states to take action immediately and terminate the mandate of Francesca Albanese. This can be done by adopting the annexed Draft Resolution at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.” UN Watch also added that Albanese should be barred entry to the United States: “The U.S. should also impose additional targeted sanctions on Albanese, including freezing her bank accounts, and waiving her diplomatic immunity so that families of terror victims can sue her for damages in U.S. Courts.”
