GENEVA – As Francesca Albanese’s mandate as Special Rapporteur is subject to renewal, World Jewish Congress Executive Vice President Maram Stern urged UN Human Rights Council President Ambassador Jürg Lauber to reject the renewal of Francesca Albanese’s mandate, citing Albanese’s well-documented history of antisemitism, repeatedly invoking harmful antisemitic tropes and undermining the legitimacy of Israel, including equating the Jewish state with Nazi Germany.
Stern took particular issue with Albanese’s suggestion that the United States is “subjugated by the Jewish lobby” and her repeated comparisons between Israeli policies and Nazi atrocities as particularly egregious.
In the letter, which can be read in full here, Stern stated:
“Ms. Albanese has repeatedly made public remarks that propagate harmful antisemitic tropes, question the legitimacy of the State of Israel, and employ rhetoric that undermines the credibility of the Human Rights Council itself. “Her persistent lack of objectivity and failure to uphold a balanced and impartial approach required of her as Special Rapporteur compromises her credibility as an independent expert.
“The World Jewish Congress strongly calls upon the Human Rights Council to reject the renewal of Ms. Albanese’s mandate. We urge the Council to immediately appoint a new Special Rapporteur whose embodies fairness, objectivity, and a genuine commitment to peace, justice, and the equal dignity of all peoples.”
At the current session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Yehuda Cohen, father of Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen, spoke on behalf of the World Jewish Congress about the importance of ensuring the immediate release of all hostages still held in Gaza.
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