Germany on Thursday joined France in calling for the resignation of Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories. This follows remarks in which she described Israel as “a common enemy of humanity”.
The comments, made during an interview at an Al Jazeera conference last week, sparked strong criticism from several European governments, which said the language crossed the line into antisemitism and appeared to target the Israeli people and state as a whole. Albanese made the remarks while reiterating her accusations of genocide against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Albanese’s position had become untenable. Writing on X, he stressed his support for the United Nations system of independent rapporteurs but said Albanese had made “numerous inappropriate statements” in the past. He added that he strongly condemned her latest remarks on Israel.
France had already taken the same position a day earlier. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot publicly called on Albanese to step down, citing concerns over the tone and substance of her comments and their impact on efforts to address the conflict responsibly.
The controversy has also triggered a political backlash in Italy. Representatives of Italy’s Jewish community voiced strong opposition to Albanese’s remarks. Furthermore, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party and its coalition partner, the League, both backed calls for her resignation.
Accusations against Israel of international law violations
Albanese, an Italian jurist appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, has repeatedly accused Israel of serious violations of international law during the Gaza conflict. Israeli officials and several Western governments have rejected her claims and accused her of bias, arguing that her statements undermine the credibility of the UN’s human rights mechanisms.
As of Thursday, Albanese had not announced any intention to resign. The UN has also not indicated whether it plans to take formal action, but the growing pressure from key European states has intensified scrutiny of her role and conduct as a UN-appointed expert. In 2025, Albanese faced US sanctions over her remarks about Israeli genocide of Palestinian people.
