Israel demands UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese's resignation over 'genocidal campaign' claims

Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, on Wednesday (Oct 30) called for the resignation of UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, accusing her of promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric and undermining human rights.

This follows Albanese's remarks to a UN General Assembly committee, in which she claimed that developments in recent months "cement my assessment that Israel is conducting a genocidal campaign against the Palestinians."

Baseless propaganda

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Danon, posting on X, criticised Albanese's comments as "baseless propaganda and lies," and argued that her position at the UN lends credibility to her allegedly "anti-semantic" views.

"Once again, the UN has rolled out the red carpet for one of the most anti-Semitic figures in modern history, granting her a stage to spew baseless propaganda and lies," he wrote.

Slamming Albanese directly, he added, "Your presence at the UN is a disgrace, a betrayal of all moral standards. Resign immediately. Leave your credentials at the door and join your friends at Hamas and Hezbollah, where you belong."

Albanese defends herself

Albanese, who has faced accusations of bias from Israel and its allies for years, defended her comments in a press briefing on Wednesday, asserting that her focus was on protecting Palestinian rights and was not directed at Judaism or Israel’s right to exist.

"I really don't feel comfortable at entertaining any longer discussions concerning the attacks against me, because it's not about me, and I'm not the story," she said.

Stressing her impartial mandate, she stated: "The story is the fact that there are Palestinians who risk to be erased from their land."

Albanese then called Israel's ally, the United States, an "enabler in what Israel has been doing."

Reacting to the statement, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield labelled Albanese "unfit" for the UN position and said: "The United Nations should not tolerate anti-Semitism from a UN-affiliated official hired to promote human rights".

Israel's UN mission in Geneva joined the criticism, saying Albanese's "distorted reality" reflects a personal bias, accusing her of being a "political activist who abuses an already discriminatory UN mandate".

"According to her hate-filled paradigm, the state of Israel has no historic reason to exist, no right to defend its population, and both the attack of October 7 and the rescue of hostages are merely used by Israel as an excuse."

"This distorted reality is a smokescreen to hide her hatred for Israel," it said.

"As a UN mandate holder, she has breached every possible rule of the UN code of conduct. She must immediately be held accountable for her continuous abuses," it added.

Why is Albanese under attack?

Albanese in her latest report, released on Tuesday (Oct 29) claimed that Israel's policies toward Palestinians constitute genocide aimed at displacement.

"The genocide of the Palestinians appears to be the means to an end: the complete removal or eradication of Palestinians from the land so integral to their identity, and which is illegally and openly coveted by Israel."

"Since its establishment, Israel has treated the occupied people as a hated encumbrance and threat to be eradicated, subjecting millions of Palestinians, for generations, to everyday indignities, mass killing, mass incarceration, forced displacement, racial segregation and apartheid," she wrote.

(With inputs from agencies)