[Prefatory Note: The post below is based on my responses to Murat Sofuoglu, a journalist working for TRT World in Turkey devoted to the Reappointment of Francesca Albanese, published on 4/3/25. Although the article relies on the interview, its tone and content are quite different. This is another pivotal moment for the UN, and specifically for its Human Rights Council, raising the question whether the Organization is subject to geopolitical manipulation in addressing controversial issues that test the UN’s political independence. Tomorrow the UN Human Rights Council Assembly of Governments will vote on whether to reappoint Francesca Albanese as Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestinian Territories for a second term of three years. She has been accused of ‘virulent antisemitism’ in carrying out this controversial role.]
Will the UN Pillory Francesca Albanese?
1. How do you feel about her mandate extension vote on April 4?
The renewal of a Special Rapporteur mandate after three years for an additional and final term of three years completes six years of unpaid voluntary service to the UNHuman Rights Council. Having known many SRs, especially during my own six years as SR for Occupied Palestine (2008-2014), I encountered not a single case of non-renewal for a second term as SR. Unlike the initial appointment, which is by consensus, that is, there must be no dissenting votes by governments that are members of the Human Rights Council, the second three-year term is by majority vote.
In the case of Francesca Albanese, the argument for her approval is overwhelmingly strong. She has displayed great energy and commitment in meeting the challenge of this sensitive position despite encountering irresponsible opposition since day one to her performance at every turn led by the Israeli partisan civil society organization, UN Watch. She has been repeatedly attacked as an antisemite, which is totally a totally defamatory smear that has been repeated by Israeli media and lobbying organizations around the world even influencing Western governments to varying degrees. Similar attacks, although less ferocious, have been directed at each of the three SRs that preceded Francesca Albanese. Knowing her well, I can affirm that she is a person of the highest moral character, a true champion of human rights, and someone who is entirely free from prejudice against any ethnicity, including of course the Jewish people. At the same time, she is an unsparing critic of Israel as a state guilty of settler colonial policies and practices that made the Palestinian people suffer extreme harm and hardships since 1948. Isreal and its minions around the world have increasingly relied on a ‘politics of diversion,’ which has meant in this setting to shift as much attention as possible away from the message and toward the credibility of the messenger.
2. Do you believe that she will be reappointed as Special Rapporteur by the UN Human Rights Council?
If Albanese is not reappointed it will be greatly damaging to the reputation of the UN, and particularly the Human Rights Council as it would represent a punitive response to her courageous diligence and overall competence that warrants praise and unconditional support given the surrounding circumstances. She has produced the most widely read and influential SR reports in the entire history of the HRC during her first term, which coincided with a period of Israeli behavior widely condemned by world public opinion as an instance of transparent genocide reported to the world in real time by virtue of digital age communications. Her two reports on Israeli genocide are carefully researched and presented in accord with the highest scholarly standards and widely discussed in the media and academic gatherings. Instead of her appointment coming under special scrutiny, her performance should be celebrated as contributing to a knowledge-based understanding of the relations between state violence and international criminal law in the context of allegations of genocide.
3. How do you see pro-Israeli opposition against her reappointment?
It seems likely that Israel, although not a member of the HRC, will go all out in denouncing Albanese, and treat her as the poster child of UN antisemitic hostility to Israel, a country that Israeli supporters argue is being held to higher standards than any other country in the world only because it is a self-proclaimed Jewish state. Such a propagandistic contention ducks the substantive question as to whether Israel has responded to the October 7 Hamas attack by engaging in practices that violate the Genocide Convention.
It is quite likely, although far from certain, that the heavy load of opposing Albanese will be carried by UN Watch, a notorious NGO that unconditionally defends every Israeli atrocity by engaging in repeated character assassinations of those like Albanese are brave enough to mount fact- and law-based criticisms. The recent withdrawal of the US from the HRC is probably helpful from the perspective of weakening pressure on Western governments to oppose her reappointment, although a few European states have expressed opposition to the reappointment of Albanese and indicate that that they might vote against her. It is possible that unconvincing allegations of receiving funding and paid travel in violation of UN rules could be brought up in the HRC debate to discredit her in the course of a debate prior to the vote.
It is also possible that Israel will see the writing on the wall, and not further tarnish its own reputation by openly opposing such a qualified candidate for reappointment, but doubtful. Israel is more likely to seize the occasion as one more way to castigate the UN for spreading venomous slander by shielding anti-Israel personnel and promoting their racist attitudes. This is shameful, of course, in view of Israel’s own criminal behavior being convincingly condemned by the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court in several near unanimous authoritative decisions.
4. During her first term, her outspokenness against Israeli policies and genocide in Gaza has marked an extraordinary period in UN history and even for human rights struggle in world history. How do you reflect to support and opposition she has received during this period?
The overwhelming majority of people in the world endorse the views professionally set forth in Francesca Albanese’s fine reports to the HRC that have activated the moral conscience of the world to endorse allegations of genocide and other crimes that she has documented and denounced. On the basis of such reports, it is a source of widespread disappointment that the UN and leading states have failed to enforce international law in ways that protect the long-suffering Palestinian people against such flagrant unlawful and unjust treatment. Palestine have been victimized and persecuted in their own homeland ever since Israel was established in 1948. International law has been authoritatively declared. What is missing is its ‘enforcement.’
This ‘enforcement gap’ must be closed if the human rights of vulnerable people are to be protected. This involves more than ending impunity for Israel. It requires UN reform, especially limiting the role of the veto power given to the five winners of World War II in the Security Council and empowering the General Assembly to enforce international law whenever the Security Council is somehow blocked in the future from carrying out its basic undertakings, especially as here where apartheid, genocide, ecocide, as well as flagrant collective punishment are at stake.
In the immediate instance of this crucial reappointment vote on April 4th, it is essential that the UN meets the challenge of supporting a brave, dedicated, and talented SR who has persisted in her role despite receiving little by way of support from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and other high level UN civil servants, including the High Commissioner of the HRC, Volker Türk. There have been unanswered calls from her removal from the SR position by members of the US Congress and in an unverifed public statement by the former US Special Envoy on Antisemitism, Deborah Lipstadt, that the UN Secretary General called Albanese ‘a horrible person’ in private conversation. [Times of Israel, Jan. 15, 2025] Not to be outdone, Hillel Neuer, longtime director of UN Watch, submitted a 55 page document to the SG that outlined Albanese’s violations of the UN Code of Conduct that is applicable to those who serve the UN. His wider view was unrelenting view that Albanese was disqualified for reappointment because of the consistent antisemitism she exhibited in carrying out the UN mandate on Occupied Palestinian Territories.
This test case at the HRC tomorrow will cast another dark shadow over the UN reputation should a majority of HRC member states vote against Albanese’s reappointment. It would create a terrible precedent for the future as well as render a grave personal injustice in the present. It would discourage many persons of conscience from taking on these voluntary positions at the UN that are neither compensated nor insulated from the whiplash of geopolitics and the dangers of being unprotected by the UN in the face of threats and disgraceful insults.
Global Justice in the 21st Century 
Professor Falk,
Thank you for your work exposing the genocidal Mafia members, Trump, who should be forced out of the office as soon as possible. Francesca Albanese, is against the genocide that is being carried out by Netanyahu and funded by the WEST including US and UK, has been accused of fake ‘antisemitic’ where no one pays any attention anymore because they know it is FAKE. These genocidal mafia members are not even Semites. The true Semites are Palestinians who have been killed by NON Semites, Western colonists, who invaded the land and now they are trying to EXPAND it by killing Arabs and Muslims in large numbers including toddlers.Trump is in full cooperation with these genocidal jewish groups identifying whoever is against genocide to be deported, or fired from their jobs to make people SILENT allowing Netanyahu to continue burning children to death in Gaza and elsewhere. Trump and his gang must be arrested and punished now.Trump is a liar and a warmonger, a liability to American interests, No one should trust this criminal and genocidal mafia member.
One of the victims of Trump’s witch hunt is Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar at the Yale University law school who has been fired because she is against GENOCIDE. The Mafia Jewish group in search of people with conscious are targeted for either deportation or being fired from their jobs. The American universities are fully cooperating with trump police state in order to secure money from the Jewish donors.
On Friday, Yale Law School (YLS) fired Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi in violation of her basic democratic rights. Falling in line with the witch-hunting campaign directed by the Trump administranotion against pro-Palestinian students and academics, YLS also lied about the events leading up to and the reasons for her firing.The campaign to remove Doutaghi began on March 4 when YLS placed her on administrative leave based on information published online by Jewish Onliner, an AI generated pro-Zionist website which claimed she was a member of a terrorist organization. Throughout the ordeal, Doutaghi has maintained that her opposition to the Israeli genocide in Gaza and her pro-Palestinian views were well known at Yale when she was hired.Doutaghi’s attorney Eric Lee explained in a post on Twitter/X that, “It is not true, as Yale alleges, that Dr. Doutaghi refused to answer questions or was non-cooperative. Yale made a decision to fire her without a fair process. Another capitulation to Trump by a major university.”
Francesca Albanese is a brilliant and experienced lawyer and academic …A nasty little UN grub named Hillel has always been jealous of Francesca and is trying to have terminated her arrangement with UN. He therefore has to be pro-genocide as he wants to hide the truth. Only a creep in a privilged position would machinate the public to prevent from functioning/shut down an effective and experienced and truthful agent.
This rat-act is par for the course machination and tyrannical bullying by jewish supremacists,Trump and other genocide supporters. Israel is corrupt and inhumane almost beyond measure and Francesca relentlessly…and far too kindly in my opinion …tells the sadistic genocide it is. Bravo Francesca.
Here is an interview with Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi by Jeremy Scahill at Drop Site:
“This is about making sure that no one dares to challenge the narratives in corporate media and Western academia.”
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/exclusive-banned-yale-law-scholar-helyeh-doutaghi
These are sad times. It is shameful to have to rally to the defense of Albanese. Her July report was a model of scholarship, legal reasoning, and clear indictment of Israel’s genocide, and everything I know about her work suggests that she is stellar.
The good news is that the UN seems poised to reappoint her. I’m heartened by the UN’s resistance. I hope it lasts.
Thanks for your post. Paul
Francesca Albanese has more courage in her little finger than all the Hillel Neuer’s in this world.
Dear Professor Falk,
I read that she made it.
Before the state of Israel was an apartheid state and regime, America was an apartheid state, and today it is once again – GRAVELY. Malcolm X was remarkable and continues to speak to this day — a lot of truth that is applicable.
Malcolm X Exposes the SHOCKING Truth About Our Common Enemy
Also, just as Special Rapporteur — both students and Professors are Public Persons and NOW are subject to harm and prosecution by laypeople who make their way by lying and assassination of others in any way that they can, just because they themselves are incapable of any human order and are incompetent. It is easy to create an NGO, and start beating the empty drum at the UN– competent adults would never do such things.
They are destroying the remnants of the little amount of human order among mankind.
It seems to me that the UN has finally learned its lesson, and this time has not allowed someone who is actually an incompetent adult, without sound reason, to be in pursuit of
getting rid of the mandate of the crucial person in service to the most vulnerable humans in our history of the time??? Right now?
They should never forget what they have done and the grave mistake that they have committed when they allowed for the removal of yours and other UN mandates without looking at the reason — of the NGO’s, and their human competencies. The UN should take a close look at the NGO’s competencies, as human beings, all together, before they allow themselves to waste time with them. They are in appointment to the humanity, and not a daily jab.
Psychopaths and sociopaths have NGO’s, too. We should know, and we should understand that, just as well — and understand it very well.
Hilll likely had no competent parents to raise him. Why is it still at the UN, distracting and thwarting the UN Mission? They can’t be reasoned with – by any human means what is taking place in Palestinian Land and with the people there. No civil means, and no ecclesiastical means. There is a grave problem with that — There are grave harms associated with it as we see now. They should think about that. They will be ecclesiastically accountable for what they do at the UN and how well they do it.
Most lay-people believe that only Anunnaki’s have ultimately created them, and that human context and existence is within that, rather than the Context of Creator Himself, “Eloh–hiiim” (in transliteration) of all existence and therefore do not fear Him because they genuinely do not believe. Not only are they unbelievers, but they are diabolical unbelievers, in a frozen state of diabolical rebellion and existence.
They can call antisemitic anyone that they want, but when they do that falsely by lying and psychological warfare, the curse of antisemitism shows up upon them. They can’t impose false accusations for irrational and delusional gains — against someone who has actually been baptized in the Roman Catholic Church of Europe, AND dependents of the ancient prophets. They will be punished for that, ecclesiastically.
We are in an international world order (and not a “global order”). We, as humans, have the right to an international worldview, and so do Professors and students do.
I hope that what is taking place right now is corrected and reversible before it is gravely too late.
American Church – if any are left at all should take a real good look at what their obnoxious laypeople are doing. They did separate the Church and the state – for whatever that means. Americans have diabolical abuses of the Ancient and Apostolic Church Order of the “state religions/cults and sects ” – and they have separation of the Church and the state. THEY HAVE SOME SERIOUS ISSUES.
I hope you are doing well. It is almost spring, and it is definitely dawning for better.
K.F.
‘Truth Has To Come Out’: Palestinian Red Crescent Society Sounds Off At UN Press Conference | Watch
Professor Falk,
here how blocking of UN investigations takes place.
And can Guardian and Mendoweis go to those people at UN and help to complete for the UN’s intentions.