Exclusive: UN Activist Barred from Israel Amid Gaza Atrocities

TEL AVIV – Exclusive: UN Activist Barred from Israel Amid Gaza Atrocities On Monday, it was revealed that the Israeli government declined to grant a visa to the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories.

Francesca Albanese has been subjected to a visa ban by Israel after her recent remarks challenging the portrayal of Hamas’ October 7 attack as antisemitic were made public.

Albanese, a UN-appointed independent expert, voiced dissent regarding French President Emmanuel Macron’s characterization of the attack as “the most significant antisemitic massacre of our era.”

Version 1: The authorities, who have previously taken similar action, denied the activist’s visa due to their differing stance on platform X.

She stated that the victims of the incident on July 10th were not targeted due to their Jewish identity, but rather as a reaction to the oppressive actions of Israel.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, along with Interior Minister, Moshe Arbel, strongly denounced the comments made by Albanese, considering them to be highly inappropriate. They have made it clear that she will not be allowed to enter the country, and have instructed immigration authorities to refrain from granting her a visa. Furthermore, they have also called for her immediate dismissal.

The Israeli ministers further highlighted the importance of the UN leaders publicly renouncing Albanese’s statements and dismissing her from her position in order to restore the organization’s significance.

The tensions between Israel and different UN bodies and representatives have intensified since the commencement of the conflict with Hamas in October of the previous year.

However, Albanese expressed her disapproval of the decision by sharing numerous posts on her social media platform.Exclusive: UN Activist Barred from Israel Amid Gaza Atrocities.

She stated that she will not succumb to intimidation from those who are involved in the continuation of the Nakba. The tragedy cannot be erased through denial, as history repeats itself with even more intensity. This refers to the large-scale displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948.

UPDATE: Israel’s refusal to grant me entry is not a recent development: Israel has consistently denied entry to ALL Special Rapporteurs/oPt since 2008! It is crucial that we do not allow this issue to divert our attention from the grave atrocities being committed by Israel in Gaza. The situation has escalated to a new level of horror with the bombing of innocent people in supposedly ‘safe areas’ in #Rafah, as highlighted in her previous statement.

Albanese has previously made it clear that her statements were not intended to justify the Hamas attack and has denounced it on multiple occasions. She perceives antisemitism as a worldwide menace, yet she contends that categorizing these offenses solely as antisemitism masks their fundamental origins.

Albanese, along with other UN special rapporteurs, fulfills the role of an impartial authority appointed by the Human Rights Council. Exclusive: UN Activist Barred from Israel Amid Gaza Atrocities.Their responsibility lies in presenting their discoveries to the council’s fact-finding and monitoring systems. Israel has previously voiced its disapproval of Albanese, specifically concerning her statements about Palestinians in Gaza and the decision to halt funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, due to allegations related to the October 7 attack.

Last year in December, there were reports indicating that the Israeli authorities declined to grant a visa to Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as two United Nations employees. This decision was made due to their position on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, which has tragically resulted in the loss of over 28,000 Palestinian lives up until now.