The World Jewish Congress, on Wednesday, strongly rejected two anti-Israel reports presented to the United Nations by Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur (SR) on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory, and by Navi Pillay, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Both documents, from the SR and the CoI, demonstrate a fundamental prejudice against Israel, providing a distorted narrative that ignores Hamas's terrorism while demonizing Israel's legitimate right to self-defense.
Anti-Israel Bias Embedded Within:
Below are some of the most serious allegations in SR Albanese's report to the UN Third Committee, which presents a distorted narrative that blatantly disregards Hamas's terrorism while making extreme accusations against Israel's actions and its fundamental right to defend its citizens:
1. Genocide Accusation: The report falsely asserts that Israel's actions constitute genocide aimed at systematically erasing the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank. It claims these actions are intentional, state-organized, and aligned with the goal of territorial expansion.
2. Humanitarian Crisis Allegations: The report alleges that Israel’s policies deliberately worsen living conditions in Gaza, leading to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with references to alleged targeted attacks on healthcare, education, and food distribution systems.
3. Ethnic Cleansing and Forced Displacement Allegations: Israeli policies are framed as “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians through forced displacement, restricted humanitarian aid, and military control over large swathes of Gaza.
4. International Law Violation Allegations: The report suggests that Israel's actions contravene multiple international laws, including the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, and calls for Israel’s alleged war crimes to be addressed through international legal mechanisms.
Pilay, separately, presented the independent Commission of Inquiry's (COI) report, which accuses Israel of widespread human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank. The report, which was previously presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council, has faced criticism due to the biases of certain Commission members, including their history of antisemitic remarks. Additionally, the COI on Israel is the only one with a permanent mandate, raising questions about the objectivity and fairness of the Commission’s investigations and conclusions.
The following are several significant allegations and calls for actions made by the Commission of Inquiry. The report presents a distorted view that, again, overlooks Hamas's terrorism while levying serious accusations against Israel's measures to protect its citizens:
1. Unlawful Occupation: The report accuses Israel of maintaining an unlawful occupation that must end as rapidly as possible. It quotes the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which determined in a highly problematic non-binding advisory opinion that Israel's prolonged occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza violates international law, asserting that Israel must cease its presence, halt all new settlement activities, and evacuate existing settlements.
2. Settlement Activities: The Commission asserts that Israel must cease all settlement activities and dismantle existing settlements without delay. It interprets "immediately" to mean that Israel should take swift action to evacuate all Israelis living in the West Bank and allow displaced Palestinians to return to their properties.
3. Restitution and Reparations: Israel is required to make reparations for damages caused in the Palestinian Territories, which include returning land and cultural property seized since 1967. If restitution is not possible, it calls for compensation to be provided to those affected.
4. International Responsibility: The Commission argues that other states have a legal obligation not to recognize or support Israel's presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and to avoid aiding or supporting the alleged occupation.
What WJC Has to Say:
In a post on X, the World Jewish Congress issued the following statement:
The latest report by Francesca Albanese is a gross perversion of history, weaponizing Holocaust comparisons to demonize Israel while ignoring the terror of Hamas. This inflammatory rhetoric must be confronted.
@UN, it’s time to stop platforming antisemitism.
The World Jewish Congress demands that the United Nations holds Francesca Albanese accountable and stops permitting its platforms to be hijacked by individuals who exploit them to spread hate and undermine the UN’s mission of promoting peace and human rights.
Albanese’s Problematic History of Antisemitism:
Albanese's history of antisemitic rhetoric, including her claims that the "Israel lobby" controls media and governments, is deeply concerning and predates her UN appointment. Since her appointment, Albanese has continued to make a series of inflammatory and overtly antisemitic statements, repeatedly comparing Israel's actions to those of Nazi-Germany during the Holocaust, including labeling the Israeli government's actions against Hamas in Gaza as a "concentration camp of the 21st century." Albanese has also recently denied the antisemitic nature of Hamas’s aims on October 7th, stating that the victims were "not killed because of their Judaism."
Albanese's biased and prejudiced remarks have on several occasions drawn strong condemnation from the governments of Germany and France, who labeled her comments as "a shame" and "appalling." The U.S. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Deborah Lipstadt, has also criticized Albanese for promoting antisemitism under the guise of criticizing Israel, stating that her prior comments were "blatantly antisemitic."
What Global Leaders Have to Say:
- Danny Danon, Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations: "Once again, the UN has rolled out the red carpet for one of the most antisemitic figures in modern history, granting her a stage to spew baseless propaganda and lies. Not a word was said about the 101 hostages still suffering at the hands of Hamas. No mention of Hamas or Hezbollah—the very groups who ignited this war."
- Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations: "As UN Special Rapporteur Albanese visits New York, I want to reiterate the U.S. belief she is unfit for her role. The United Nations should not tolerate antisemitism from a UN-affiliated official hired to promote human rights."
- Permanent Mission of France to the UN in Geneva: The United Nations must be the place for a fight against speeches hatred and anti-Semitism, which have no place anywhere. The words have a meaning. The Human Rights Council must draw all the consequences of non-compliance with the minimum rules of ethics and professional conduct of the United Nations system."
- Deborah Lyons, Canada's Special Envoy for Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism: "I recognize the independence that Special Rapporteurs have within the UN system, it is unacceptable for any official – independent or not – to engage in Holocaust distortion. This is harmful to Jewish communities and others in Canada and across the globe, which is why there have been condemnations of these statements from multiple countries, elected officials and organizations."
