‘Unfit for Office’: U.S. Calls on UN to Fire Francesca Albanese in Light of Report Accusing Companies of Contributing to ‘Genocide’

Latest Developments

• ‘Antisemitism and Support for Terrorism’: The Trump administration formally requested that the United Nations fire Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the “Occupied Palestinian Territories,” calling her unfit for office due to her “virulent antisemitism and support for terrorism.” The private letter from U.S. Acting Representative to the United Nations Dorothy Shea to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was prompted by Albanese sending “threatening letters to dozens of entities around the world, including corporations and nonprofit organizations,” claiming those entities would be held accountable for contributing to “gross human rights violations,” “apartheid,” and “genocide” because of their business with Israel. Shea emphasized that Albanese “wrongly asserts that recipients have violated ‘preemptory norms of international law’ and face exposure to ‘potential criminal liability,’ and demands that they cease activities relating to Israel.”
• Allegations Against Companies: On July 3, Albanese presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva naming 60 companies and organizations — including 20 based in the United States — that she accused of helping Israel wage a “genocidal campaign” in Gaza. “The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic,” Albanese said during her presentation. “Israel is responsible for one of the cruelest genocides in modern history.” Israel’s mission to Geneva was not in attendance at Albanese’s presentation of the report but described it as “legally groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of her office.”
• Legally Flawed Allegations: Shea’s letter also questioned Albanese’s qualifications, writing that she had lied by claiming to be a lawyer when “she has not passed a legal bar examination or been licensed to practice law,” leading to her allegations being “flawed in multiple ways.” “I never lie,” Albanese told Vanity Fair in May. “I didn’t take the exam to become a lawyer because I’m not a lawyer, and I never wanted to do it.” Nevertheless, she has defended her positions several times on social media by stating that she is a lawyer.

FDD Expert Response

“There was a time when I was concerned that the United Nations was ambivalent about terrorism and antagonistic toward Israel. I’m now nostalgic for those days. Ms. Albanese is, as the U.S. mission has now correctly recognized, a supporter of terrorism who demonizes Israelis and those who support Israelis’ self-defense against jihadis whose openly stated goal is genocide. Of course, she was appointed to her position by the UN Human Rights Council — as Orwellian an international organization as has ever existed.” — Clifford D. May, Founder and President

“Albanese justifies the destruction of the Jewish state in a parallel universe she constructed with the language of the far left. Her recent report erases Israel’s security concerns — making no mention of Hamas — to paint the country as diabolically evil. She stands out among a UN system filled with obsessive opponents of Israel for her rank antisemitism. But firing her is not enough. The United Nations must end the one-sided, open-ended special rapporteur mandate she upholds.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

 “‘UN Tolerates Antisemitic Hatred’: United States Condemns Reappointment of Francesca Albanese as Special Rapporteur for Palestinians,” FDD Flash Brief

 “‘Insidious Anti-Israel Trend’: U.S. Congress Warns UN Human Rights Council of Sanctions,” FDD Flash Brief

“U.S. Officials Chide ‘Antisemitism’ of UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese,” FDD Flash Brief

“More outrageous UN anti-Semitism: High-level official says Israel to blame for Palestinians murdering Jews,” by David May and Richard Goldberg