UN Human Rights Council extends Francesca Albanese’s mandate as special rapporteur on “Palestinian territories”, despite widespread condemnation from Israel and others over bias, controversial remarks, and conflicts of interest.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has extended Francesca Albanese’s term as special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the “Palestinian territories” for an additional three years, despite her continued anti-Israel statements and actions.
Appointed in 2022, Albanese retained her position following procedural approval by the 47-member council. Attempts to halt the renewal—led by Israel and supported by Hungary and Argentina—were ultimately unsuccessful, according to Ynet.
Albanese has become a polarizing figure within diplomatic and human rights circles. Israeli authorities and advocacy organizations have repeatedly accused her of promoting an anti-Israel agenda.
Albanese’s anti-Israel bias was first exposed in 2022, in the form of antisemitic posts she made on social media, in which she claimed that the “Jewish lobby” controls the US.
At the time, Albanese rejected arguments that the comments about the “Jewish lobby” were antisemitic and claimed they were “mischaracterized”, but her anti-Israel bias has continued to be exposed since.
Her criticism of Israel has grown since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack in Israel. The attack, in which Hamas terrorists killed over 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, was described by Albanese as an act that must be viewed in “context” and as a response to Israeli “aggression.”
She has also in recent months accused Israel of genocide, likened the Government of Israel to the “Third Reich,” and compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
