The United Nations Human Rights Council has chosen to renew Francesca Albanese’s mandate as special rapporteur on human rights in what it refers to as the “Palestinian territories,” extending her term for another three years. This decision comes despite ongoing backlash over her consistent record of anti-Israel rhetoric and conduct.
Albanese, who was originally appointed in 2022, had her role reaffirmed after it passed the necessary procedural vote among the 47 member states. Israel strongly opposed the extension, and efforts to block the reappointment were backed by Hungary and Argentina, but those attempts did not succeed, as reported by Ynet.
Within both international diplomacy and human rights advocacy, Albanese has drawn significant controversy. Israeli officials and numerous advocacy groups have persistently accused her of being overtly hostile to Israel and of allowing her personal bias to dominate her professional assessments.
Concerns about Albanese’s stance were first spotlighted in 2022, when she made social media posts asserting that the “Jewish lobby” exerts control over the United States government.
At the time, Albanese denied that these remarks were antisemitic. She insisted they had been “mischaracterized,” though accusations of bias have only intensified since then.
Her antagonism toward Israel has escalated notably following the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023, during which more than 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 250 taken hostage. Albanese referred to the atrocity as something that must be seen in “context” and described it as a response to supposed Israeli “aggression.”
In subsequent months, Albanese has gone even further, accusing Israel of perpetrating genocide. She has publicly drawn parallels between the Israeli government and the “Third Reich,” and even compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
{Matzav.com}