Gaza Herald – Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that many Western governments are failing to stop Israel from continuing its violations against Palestinians.
Speaking on Monday, Albanese called for an immediate halt to arms transfers to Israel, warning that without such measures, Israel would persist in its actions. She stressed the need to end what she characterized as longstanding impunity regarding violence against Palestinians.
Albanese argued that accusations of antisemitism are, in her view, being widely misused, particularly in Europe, as a means of deflecting criticism of Israeli policies. She clarified that criticism, she said, is directed at the actions of the Israeli government rather than at Jewish people.
The UN expert added that Palestinians are enduring one of the most difficult periods in their history and expressed concern over what she described as repeated condemnations without meaningful action. She emphasized the necessity of concrete steps to halt violence.
Albanese also warned about what she termed the risk of ethnic cleansing, defining it as rendering Palestinian land devoid of its Palestinian population. She claimed that statements by certain Israeli ministers present Palestinians with two options: leave their homeland or remain under oppression, an outcome she said Palestinians reject.
Albanese voiced concern that member states may remain passive in the face of what she described as pressure from Israel and the United States, urging governments to safeguard multilateralism and pursue alternative measures to address the situation.
