Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the “occupied Palestinian territories,” justified the slaughter of Jews on Oct. 7 in a Saturday tweet by blaming it on Israeli “oppression.”
Responding to French President Emmanuel Macron’s comment at an elaborate ceremony on Wednesday honoring the 42 French-Israelis murdered on Oct. 7, where he referred to the Hamas invasion as “the greatest antisemitic massacre of our century,” Albanese tweeted:
“The ‘greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century’? No, Mr. @EmmanuelMacron. The victims of 10/7 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel’s oppression. France & the international community did nothing to prevent it. My respects to the victims.”
Le 'plus grand massacre antisémite de notre siècle'? Non, M. @EmmanuelMacron. Les victimes du 7/10 n'ont pas été tuées à cause de leur judaïsme, mais en réaction de l'oppression d'Israël. La France & la communauté int'le n'ont rien fait pour l'empêcher. Mes respects aux victimes. https://t.co/uiXOkD7HV4
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) February 10, 2024
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday rebuked Albanese for her comments, calling them “deeply troubling,” and demanded her dismissal.
“I call on Secretary-General Guterres to fire @FranceskAlbs immediately. The time of Jewish silence in the face of such misrepresentations has passed. We must stand strong and vocal against such narratives,” Katz tweeted.
Albanese has frequently courted controversy among Israel supporters for singling out Israel for blame in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She has made frequent comparisons between Israel and the Nazis.
The @UN's recent statement to the French President, framing the October 7th massacre as a reaction to 'Israeli oppression' rather than an act of anti-Jewish hatred, is deeply troubling. I call on Secretary-General @antonioguterres to fire @FranceskAlbs immediately. The time of… https://t.co/PTItZRTJNG
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 11, 2024
When JNS asked Albanese in December whether she thought Hamas was justified in invading Israel and killing Israeli security personnel, she said, “Why is this so unbelievable? You seem to be puzzled by this. What is the right to resist?”
She also accused Israel and American evangelical Christians of weaponizing antisemitism to silence her and other critics of Israel.
“Israel occupies the Palestinian territory illegally, continuing to colonize the land, to brutalize the people, to let its armed settlers go around and terrorize everyone,” Albanese told JNS. “The Palestinians have no recourse to justice, because the Israeli army is not there to protect the Palestinians. It is there to protect the settlers, who are illegal.”
