United Nations Human Rights Council renews Francesca Albanese’s mandate as its special rapporteur for Judea, Samaria, and Gaza – despite accusations of antisemitism and objections from the US.
By World Israel News Staff
A far-left United Nations official with a history of controversial statements against Israel who has faced accusations of antisemitism was reappointed over the weekend, following a failed bid by several states to derail the renewal of her mandate.
Since 2022, Francesca Albanese, a 48-year-old Italian human rights activist and attorney, has served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian Territories, a mandate which spans Judea, Samaria, Gaza, and eastern Jerusalem.
Citing her controversial attacks on Israel, her defense of Palestinian Arab terrorism, and her promotion of conspiracy theories against Israel and the United States, both Israel and the American mission to the UN had lobbied for the renewal of her three-year mandate to be rejected.
“Today, the US sent SG Antonio Guterres a letter opposing Francesca Albanese’s renewal as UN Special Rapporteur,” the US mission to the UN said last Thursday.
“We condemn her virulent antisemitism, which demonizes Israel and supports Hamas. She has clearly violated the UN’s code of conduct and is unfit for her role. Her reappointment would show the UN tolerates antisemitic hatred and support for terrorism.”
American lawmakers, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also called for Albanese’s mandate not to be extended.
The committee “strongly objects” to handing Albanese a new three-year term, Chairman Brian Mast (R-Fl.) wrote, because she has “consistently aligned herself with Hamas terrorists, accused Israel of genocide, likened the Government of Israel to the ‘Third Reich,’ and compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.”
The former Italian lawyer also justified the Hamas attack by saying that it came in response to Israeli “aggression” and “oppression.”
In addition, Albanese “unapologetically uses her position as a UN Special Rapporteur to purvey and attempt to legitimize antisemitic tropes [and]… has erroneously accused the United States Congress and our Executive of being bought and paid for by the Israel lobby,” Mast wrote.
Albanese has in the past also accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the 2015 Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in Paris, which were perpetrated by Islamist terrorists.
The UN rapporteur’s fitness for the position has also been challenged over a trip to Australia bankrolled by a pro-Hamas organization, as well as an alleged conflict of interest involving her husband’s employment as an economic adviser to the Palestinian Authority – a fact she failed to disclose to the UN.
However, the 47-member council voted in Geneva to extend Albanese’s mandate for an additional 3 years, through April 2028, rejected a campaign by Israel, Argentina, and Hungary against the renewal of her mandate.
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