UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese expressed outrage on Saturday after French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the October 7 massacre as “the largest antisemitic massacre of our century,” insisting that the massacre of 1,200 Israelis was simply a “response to Israel’s oppression.”
“The ‘greatest antisemitic massacre of our century’? No, Mr. @EmmanuelMacron. The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism but in response to Israel’s oppression. France & the international community did nothing to prevent it. My respects to the victims,” wrote Albanese on X.
The French Foreign Ministry condemned Albanese’s comments, replying on X that “the October 7 massacre is the largest antisemitic massacre of the 21st century. Disputing it is an error. Seeming to justify it by including the name of the United Nations is a disgrace.
Le massacre du 7 octobre est le plus grand massacre antisémite du 21e siècle. Le contester est une faute. Sembler le justifier, en y mêlant le nom des Nations Unies, est une honte.Ces propos sont d’autant plus scandaleux que la lutte contre l’antisémitisme et toutes les formes… https://t.co/IGOfEP5Q0q
— France Diplomatie (@francediplo) February 10, 2024
“These comments are all the more scandalous since the fight against antisemitism and all forms of racism are at the heart of the founding of the UN,” added the French Foreign Ministry.
Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy welcomed France’s response to the UN official’s comments, writing, “Bravo, France, for calling out this awful UN official for denying the intensely antisemitic motivations of the Hamas October 7 massacre and seemingly justifying it as a ‘response to Israeli oppression.’”
Bravo, France, for calling out this awful UN official for denying the intensely antisemitic motivations of the Hamas October 7 Massacre and seemingly justifying it as a "response to Israeli oppression". pic.twitter.com/KW79xee0tc
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) February 10, 2024
Foreign Minister Israel Katz called the comment “deeply troubling,” and called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to fire Albanese immediately.
“The time of Jewish silence in the face of such misrepresentations has passed. We must stand strong and vocal against such narratives,” Katz wrote.
The @UN's recent statement to the French President, framing the October 7th massacre as a reaction to 'Israeli oppression' rather than an act of anti-Jewish hatred, is deeply troubling. I call on Secretary-General @antonioguterres to fire @FranceskAlbs immediately. The time of… https://t.co/PTItZRTJNG
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) February 11, 2024
Albanese has repeatedly spoken out supporting Palestinian terrorism
Albanese, who has served as the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories since May 2022, has repeatedly spoken out in support of Palestinian terrorism, describing such acts as “resistance” and “defense.”\
She has also expressed support for boycotting Israelis, accused the State of Israel of committing genocide, and belittled findings that UNRWA employees were complicit in the October 7 massacre and served as members of Hamas.
In 2014, after Hamas kidnapped and murdered three young Israeli boys and then indiscriminately fired thousands of rockets toward Israel, leading to the launch of Operation Protective Edge, Albanese posted on Facebook, “America and Europe, one of them subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and the other by the sense of guilt about the Holocaust, remain on the sidelines and continue to condemn the oppressed – the Palestinians – who defend themselves with the only means they have (deranged missiles), instead of making Israel face its international law responsibilities.” The post has since been made private.
Albanese has also repeatedly stated that Israel does not have the right of self-defense in the conflict with the Palestinians, including immediately after British-Israelis Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee were murdered in a shooting attack in the Jordan Valley, and an Italian tourist was murdered in a ramming attack in Tel Aviv on the same day.Albanese has also linked the establishment of the State of Israel with the Holocaust.
In December 2022, Albanese told a conference organized by Hamas in Gaza that “you have a right to resist this occupation.”