The International Legal Forum (ILF), an Israel-based NGO of 4,000 lawyers, issued a letter to the United Nations calling on the international body to fire Special Rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza Strip Francesca Albanese over her recent comments regarding Israel’s right to self-defense.
The ILF wrote in their April 11 letter to the UN, which was obtained by the Journal, “Following the terrorist murder of an Italian tourist, Allesandro Parini (35), and British-Israeli sisters Rena (20) and Maya (15) Dee, Ms. Albanese explicitly and inexcusably, said that Israel does not have a right to self-defense against Palestinian terror, thereby directly endorsing the murder of Israeli civilians, including children. She has only further reiterated this position since. It is unfathomable that such a statement would ever be made by a UN representative, but this is just the latest in Ms. Albanese’s relentless, systematic and unhinged bias against Israel.” Albanese had tweeted, “The loss of life in the [Occupied Palestinian Territory] & Israel is devastating, especially at a time that should be of peace for all, Christians, Jews, Muslims. Israel has a right to defend itself, but can’t claim it when it comes to the people it oppresses/whose lands it colonizes.” After critics argued that Albanese had said that Israel didn’t have a right to defend itself, Albanese claimed to have been taken out of context, tweeting: “Israel justifies its repression of Palestinians as ‘self-defense.’ However, self-defense can’t be used as a blanket claim when the repression has mainly served to perpetuate the military occupation in West Bank/Jerusalem/Gaza, denying Palestinians their rights for 56 [years].”
The loss of life in the oPt & Israel is devastating, especially at a time that should be of peace for all, Christians, Jews, Muslims. Israel has a right to defend itself, but can't claim it when it comes to the people it oppresses/whose lands it colonizes.https://t.co/qm8t3lCeDC
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) April 8, 2023
Israel justifies its repression of Palestinians as 'self-defense'. However, self-defense can't be used as a blanket claim when the repression has mainly served to perpetuate the military occupation in West Bank/Jerusalem/Gaza, denying Palestinians their rights for 56 yrs. 2/3
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) April 10, 2023
The ILF argued in their letter that Albanese’s past comments––including her use of the term “Jewish lobby,” comparing Israel to the Nazis and telling a Hamas terror group conference in November 2022 that they “have the right to resist”–– and support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement shows that she “has a long history of antisemitism and virulent bias.” “As long as Ms. Albanese remains in this role and her entirely one-sided mandate is not removed altogether, antisemitism will continue to ravage your institution, while full equality and respect afforded to all UN member states, will remain to be denied to the one and only Jewish state, Israel,” the ILF wrote. “We therefore call on you to ensure that the UN lives up to its own rules and standards, and to send a clear message that antisemitism and endorsement of violence will not be tolerated at the United Nations, by dismissing Ms. Albanese and abolishing her position entirely.”
Albanese tweeted that she was “unfazed” by the ILF letter because, in her view, she was simply “stating basic [international] law principles, nor the immorality of some of its masterminds. What goes around comes around. I can’t be distracted. I must stay focused on my human rights work & the people under occupation, besieged & repressed.”
Unfazed by this campaign against me for stating basic int'l law principles, nor the immorality of some of its masterminds. What goes around comes around.
I can't be distracted. I must stay focused on my human rights work & the people under occupation, besieged & repressed. https://t.co/a1iwu5TrJl— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) April 13, 2023
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also defended Albanese, tweeting that they were disappointed more people globally haven’t denounced “the malicious campaigns against the United Nations and its personnel, including the UN Special Rapporteur [Francesca Albanese].” The ministry also thanked Albanese “and all other human rights experts and defenders for upholding their mandates and advancing accountability for the sake of justice.” ILF CEO Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted that the fact that the Palestinian ministry is defending her is “quite telling.”
After we launched campaign calling for UN to dismiss Francesca Albanese, over endorsing terror against Israelis and her relentless bias & Jew hatred, I see her bosses at Palestinian MFA have leaped to her defense. Rather telling … pic.twitter.com/suMKAMCsto
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) April 13, 2023
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