Condemnations Against Antisemitic UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese

Following is a compilation of statements by government officials and international organizations calling out antisemitism by UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese.

Government Officials

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (July 26, 2024): “There is no place for antisemitism from UN-affiliated officials tasked with promoting human rights. While the United States has never supported Francesca Albanese’s mandate, it is clear she is not fit for this or any position at the UN.”

U.S. Ambassador to the UNHRC Michèle Taylor (July 26, 2024): “UN Special Rapporteur @FranceskAlbs’s comparison of Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler is reprehensible and antisemitic. There should be no place for such dehumanizing rhetoric. Special rapporteurs should be striving to improve human rights challenges, not inflame them.”

German Parliament Member Gitta Connemann (July 25, 2024): “Francesca Albanese again. Her comparison of the Israeli Prime Minister with Adolf Hitler is disgusting. Her anti-Semitic phrases are a disgrace for the UN. She must go…”

German Parliament Member Frank Müller-Rosentritt (July 25, 2024): “Francesca Albanese is a disgrace to the UN. I call on the German government to work with other countries to achieve her immediate removal.”

German Parliament Member Frank Müller-Rosentritt (June 9, 2024): “A disgusting commentary on the successful release of the hostages. Francesca Albanese must finally be removed from her position as UN Special Reporter! Germany must not support this blatant one-sidedness, demonization and delegitimization of Israel.”

French Foreign Ministry (February 11, 2024): “The October 7 massacre is the largest anti-Semitic massacre of the 21st century. Disputing it is a mistake. Seeming to justify it, by including the name of the United Nations, is a shame. These comments [by Francesca Albanese] are all the more scandalous since the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of racism are at the heart of the founding of the UN.”

German Foreign Ministry (February 11, 2024): “Full support to @francediplo. To justify the horrific terror attacks of 7/10 & deny their antisemitic nature is appalling. Making such statements in a UN capacity is a disgrace and goes against everything the United Nations stand for.”

U.S. Congress, Bipartisan Letter of 11 Representatives (January 23, 2023): “We write to you today to express our opposition to Ms. Francesca Albanese continuing to serve as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories […] You have stated that ‘there is no room for antisemitism in the UN,’ but it seems you do have room for Special Rapporteur Albanese and others who have repeatedly made statements that are antisemitic. Failure to take meaningful action on repeated instances of antisemitism by UN officials undermines the UN’s credibility. We urge you to demonstrate that the UN is capable of genuinely addressing antisemitism by removing Ms. Albanese from her post.”

U.S. Ambassador to the UNHRC Michèle Taylor (December 14, 2022): “We are appalled by recently uncovered antisemitic remarks on social media made by a UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur before taking on the role. References to the ‘Jewish Lobby’ are an age-old trope; this is outrageous, inappropriate, corrosive, & degrades the value of the UN.”

U.S. Special Envoy on Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt (December 14, 2022): “Such blatant antisemitic rhetoric–particularly when it’s an established pattern–is simply unacceptable. It severely undermines the credibility of the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur to deal with the issue of human rights in the context of Israel & the Palestinian territories”

U.S. House Representative Kathy Manning (December 16, 2022): “[Albanese’s rhetoric has been] completely unacceptable and frankly shocking. […] She made statements that were not true in her application which I think calls her fitness for that position into question. […] There’s also a code of conduct for mandate holders and I think she has violated that code of conduct.”

U.S. Congress, Bipartisan Letter of 11 Representatives (January 23, 2023): “We write to you today to express our opposition to Ms. Francesca Albanese continuing to serve as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories […] You have stated that ‘there is no room for antisemitism in the UN,’ but it seems you do have room for Special Rapporteur Albanese and others who have repeatedly made statements that are antisemitic. Failure to take meaningful action on repeated instances of antisemitism by UN officials undermines the UN’s credibility. We urge you to demonstrate that the UN is capable of genuinely addressing antisemitism by removing Ms. Albanese from her post.”

U.S. Public Delegate to UNGA Andrew Weinstein (December 16, 2022): “This report about UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese is appalling. Antisemitism should have no home at the United Nations.”

European Parliament Member Miriam M. Lexmann (December 15, 2022): “Appalling Antisemitic rhetoric from the UN Special Rapporteur. Ms Albanese must resign and apologise. A sad reflection on today’s state of the UN system that a Special Rapporteur was on human rights engages in such blatant Antisemitism.”

Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva (December 14, 2022): “Antisemitism is a persistent malice that has infected the United Nations Human Rights Council for far too long. Comments made by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese that surfaced today are yet another stain on the credibility of this body and yet another example of the impunity that exists today regarding antisemitism and antisemitic comments made by UN officials.”