The UN particular rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territories, who confronted criticism in Western media for drawing consideration to Israeli struggle crimes, addressed accusations and emphasised the consequences of her position in a interval of perceived UN-level void.
Since taking workplace in 2022, Francesca Albanese has gained consideration for her outspoken stance towards Israeli occupation.
In an interview with Anadolu, she addressed accusations associated to her Australia journey, together with claims of funding by Palestinian foyer teams and a smear marketing campaign trying to oust her.
Albanese highlighted that criticizing Israel’s actions shouldn’t be equated with antisemitism. She emphasised that labeling any critique of Israel as “antisemitic prevents freedom of expression, freedom of critique and creates a sort of an area of impunity.”
She additionally accused Israel of violating worldwide regulation. “It is fully documented, and asking Israel to respect international law and the human rights of the Palestinians, how can it be anti-Semitic?” she stated.
“So the first problem is weaponization of anti-Semitism and conflation of critique of the state of Israel’s practices versus the Palestinians with anti-Semitism.”
Regarding the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas, Albanese condemned it as a severe crime. She, nevertheless, criticized Israel for a disproportionate response.
“I mean, I am not saying that Israel did not have the right to protect itself or to carry out targeted operations against Hamas militants. But what Israel has done is punishing an entire population, civilian population in Gaza.”
Israel has been “destroying 50% of the civilian infrastructure, bombing residential neighborhoods, waging a war against a population which is trapped in 360 square kilometers, carpet bombing that land and causing 16,000 deaths, 16,000 victims, 70% of whom are women and children,” she stated.
As a major voice on the worldwide stage, Albanese stays on the middle of debates and pressures, navigating a path by means of criticism whereas upholding her obligation because the UN particular rapporteur for Palestine.
About the accusations, she stated she traveled to Australia in early November on the invitation of civil society volunteers. She stated the journey, deliberate earlier than Oct. 7, was to debate two studies she wrote on Palestine.
Albanese stated she was unjustly focused with baseless accusations, regardless of clarifications, together with allegations from Hillel C. Neuer, the chief director of UN Watch, who accused her of receiving funds from Palestinian foyer teams and known as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take away her from her put up.
“They say a Palestinian lobby. What is the Palestinian lobby? There’s no such thing as Palestinian lobbyists. I wish they had the power to be a lobby, but they are not. So, the organizations who invited me are solidarity groups for Palestinian rights. So there is nothing wrong,” she stated.
“I have been invited by others, universities, society organizations in Europe, but in this particular case, it’s not even true because it was. I used the budget that I have by the United Nations because I cannot go twice a year to the occupied Palestinian territory. I used the budget to go to Australia and that is it. So you see there is a lot of misinformation and what happens is that they contribute to make my voice, my persona, and my mandate controversial,” she stated.
Albanese stated not solely herself however Jews in lots of nations, particularly the US, reacted negatively to assaults concentrating on civilians in Gaza.
“I do not think that my voice is stronger than theirs. I have a mandate, I carry a different weight and this is why they target me. As they have target my predecessors professor Michael Link and professor Richard Folk, I think that there is such pressure on me because I am a strong voice in a moment where there has been a void at the UN level,” she added.
‘JEWISH ISRAELI DOMINATION IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES’
Expressing concern about challenges in reporting on Israeli assaults on Gaza, Albanese criticized the media’s method, discovering it problematic and inconsistent with historic info. She defended her use of the time period, “Jewish Israeli domination in occupied Palestinian territories,” and stated it was not antisemitic however rooted in documented proof supplied by Palestinian and Israeli organizations.
“In fact the concept of domination is in the apartheid convention. And it is clear, it is fully documented by Palestinian organizations, Israeli organizations like B’tselem and Yashdeen, and international organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty international and even my predecessor Professor Michael Link wrote a report about that,” she stated.
Drawing consideration to the persistent violence within the area, Albanese known as for a stronger political will throughout the UN to use worldwide regulation, expressing concern that the battle will endure and not using a decisive dedication to justice and respect for elementary human rights.
Source: www.anews.com.tr