New York (Quds News Network)- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, urged the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to consider suspending Israel’s membership due to its repeated violations of international law and its ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories.
Speaking at a press conference, Albanese stressed that Israel’s impunity has enabled it to “become a serial violator of international law.”
Albanese’s recommendations include suspending Israel’s credentials at the UN until it halts these violations and withdraws its occupation, which clearly unlawful. She emphasized that Israel’s formation came at a huge price for the Palestinians, a cost that remains unaddressed.
Since the 1967 occupation, Palestinians have faced systematic segregation and repression, Albanese added, noting that Israel’s ‘Greater Israel’ policies aim to diminish Palestinian identity in the region. She highlighted that 75% of Gaza’s population consists of refugees originally from what is now called ‘Israel’, symbolizing what she termed Israel’s “original sin” since its creation.
In a recent report to the UN General Assembly, Albanese described a pattern of forced displacement, destruction, and actions amounting to genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. Her report points to “long-term, intentional, state-organized forced displacement and replacement” of Palestinians, especially in light of the Israeli attacks’ escalation since October 7, 2023.
Albanese’s findings address the genocidal intent behind Israel’s expansion, framing it as part of a sustained process of ethnic cleansing aimed at removing Palestinian presence from Palestine.
Albanese’s statements and report have faced significant outrage, especially from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Canada, which has labeled her criticisms as antisemitic. Ahead of her upcoming talk at the University of Toronto on November 7, CIJA called on Canadian authorities to take measures against her. They are urging Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Ambassador Bob Rae to publicly condemn Albanese and bar Canadian officials from meeting with her.
CIJA has also requested that Albanese be stripped of diplomatic immunity during her visit and removed from her UN position.
“No government official should be meeting with Albanese while she’s in Canada nor should Albanese enjoy diplomatic immunity while she’s here in Canada,” CIJA said, accusing her of spreading harmful rhetoric by equating Israel’s crimes to those of Nazi Germany.