Pro-Israel groups push to end UN mandate for Francesca Albanese

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, is facing mounting pressure from pro-Israel groups and politicians demanding the end of her mandate, The New Arab reported.

Her three-year term is set to conclude this week, and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will vote on its renewal on April 4.

Several countries have indicated reluctance to support her reappointment due to her outspoken criticism of Israel.

Albanese has consistently highlighted what she describes as ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians in her official reports and media appearances.

The backlash against Albanese has been fuelled by figures like British Labour MP David Taylor, who accused her of justifying Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and portraying Israel as a "settler-colonial invasion" in an interview to The Jewish Chronicle, a pro-Israel newspaper.

Pro-Israel organisations, including UN Watch, have been at the forefront of the campaign against her.

UN Watch has published a 60-page report accusing Albanese of promoting anti-Semitism and "terrorism" under her UN role. The organisation also launched a petition urging the UNHRC to reject her reappointment.

At a recent UNHRC session in Geneva, UN Watch's director Hillel Neuer called for the immediate termination of Albanese's mandate.

Other groups, including the World Jewish Congress and the Zionist youth organisation Betar, have also targeted Albanese.

Betar allegedly threatened to attack her during a recent visit to London, referencing Israel's deadly air strikes in Lebanon last year.