PARIS, France – The UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has sparked controversy with her remarks regarding the October 7 massacre in Israel. Albanese expressed outrage after French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the massacre as “the largest antisemitic massacre of our century,” arguing that the killing of 1,200 Israelis was a response to Israeli oppression.
In response to Macron’s statement, Albanese took to social media to express her disagreement, stating that the victims were not killed because of their Judaism but as a reaction to Israel’s oppression. The French Foreign Ministry condemned Albanese’s comments, calling her attempt to justify the massacre a disgrace.
The Israeli government and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz also condemned Albanese’s remarks, with Katz calling on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to fire Albanese immediately. This has sparked a heated debate about the portrayal of the massacre and the stance taken by the UN official.
Albanese, who has been serving as the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories since May 2022, has a history of speaking out in support of Palestinian terrorism. She has expressed support for boycotting Israelis, accused the State of Israel of committing genocide, and belittled findings that UNRWA employees were complicit in the October 7 massacre and served as members of Hamas.
The controversy surrounding Albanese’s comments brings to light the ongoing tensions and complexities within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The differing perspectives on the nature of the October 7 massacre reflect the deeply entrenched divisions and the challenges in finding common ground in this long-standing conflict.