The special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories has been under fire over alleged antisemitism, which she strongly denies.
PARIS — France’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva didn’t call for the resignation of Francesca Albanese, the embattled special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, during a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday, even though Paris had previously pledged to do so.
Several European countries have demanded Albanese step down over comments she made about Israel’s war in Gaza during a televised address earlier this month, during which she made reference to a “common enemy” of humanity. Critics said that was an antisemitic smear directed at Israel, a charge Albanese strongly denied, saying her words had been willfully distorted and were not directed at Israel.
Demands for Albanese’s resignation followed, led by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and applauded by U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner, who has criticized the country for not doing enough to fight antisemitism.
But the speech of France’s Permanent Representative Céline Jurgensen at a meeting of the UNHRC on Wednesday contained no such call for Albanese’s resignation.
Jurgensen only referred to “repeated and extremely problematic statements by a United Nations Special Rapporteur,” and called on special rapporteurs to “exercise the restraint, moderation, and discretion required by their mandate.”
During his Feb. 11 speech in France’s National Assembly, however, Barrot had said that Albanese’s “provocations call for only one response: her resignation. And it is in these terms and with this firmness … that France will speak … during the session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.”
Asked about the change in position, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux referred POLITICO to earlier comments by Barrot, and said that in the minister’s view, “repeated provocations from Mrs Albanese warranted for her to have the dignity to step down.”
Albanese is a controversial figure due to her outspoken comments against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, violence by Israeli settlers, and various other activities by the state of Israel which she frequently says amount to genocide. When announcing U.S. sanctions on Albanese, Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused her of displaying “open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West.
Individual UN members have no formal way to force Albanese to resign before her term ends in 2028, short of a resolution in the Human Rights Council, which French and U.N. officials have said privately would be unlikely to pass. Albanese has said she has no intention of stepping down.