(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Francesca Albanese is verbally attacked – but also strongly defended – in the media and online. We ask more personally if this makes her frustrated or exhausted – like having a UN engagement like this:
"Anti-Semitism is abhorrent. 80 years after the Holocaust, we still have anti-Semitism. But like many others who are critical of Israel's behavior towards the Palestinians, I am constantly exposed to accusations of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is not really treated as discrimination against Jews, but as pure criticism of Israel. This is both dishonest and dangerous. It is used to divert attention from the content of my revelations. It is obvious.”
Albanese recently spoke about his latest book J'Accuse for 300 people in Siracusa, Sicily – twice as many who showed up for the same lecture in the larger city of Catania, Sicily. In both cities, we sat down for this conversation:
“There is another aspect that is very clear here in Italy. You should have read the letter pro-Israel groups sent to the mayor of Syracuse to get him to ban this event about the book – which was indeed a moving and poignant event. I am guided by integrity and make no compromises when it comes to human rights. I reject this kind of hubris on the part of those who try to stifle a debate that shines a spotlight on what Israel is doing. In Italy, the pro-Israel front is quite aggressive and unscrupulous."
I then wonder what she would answer if she had met them directly:
“Yes, my question would be: How can you turn a blind eye to the murders of 20 children and the starvation of two million people? How dare you ask us not to talk about or condemn this? So no, I'm not intimidated. And I will not be deterred. As long as I have the health to do so, I will continue to fight for justice and for international law to apply everywhere and for everyone, without discrimination."
But what about real threats, since she is a high profile person who reports on Israel – despite being objective and independent?
"I am guided by integrity and do not compromise on human rights."
"This is no different to what those who are slightly visible are exposed to. But I think I'm more protected than before by the fact that I've become a public figure now. I am on guard against all the hate that is being spread around me. They say that I am anti-Semitic, that I want to destroy the state of Israel, that I incite violence and support terrorism. And that I do not respect the victims of 7 October – which is completely untrue and so unacceptable. I felt completely crushed on October 7th, as I have felt all the days since. What a number of Palestinians from Gaza did to civilian Israelis is indefensible and constitutes an international crime. Actions that target civilians are not legitimate resistance, and this must of course be accounted for. I have said it many times, I have expressed solidarity with the families of the hostages, but I have not claimed anything other than that their tragedy cannot be used to justify other crimes. And meanwhile, by creating a narrative that I'm anti-Semitic, or support terror, that I don't care about the hostages, they're just trying to tarnish my reputation, hoping to make me less credible. So far this has not worked, it seems. But this also creates a certain hatred towards me."
Albanese also has two children: "My children have resented my frequent absences, or the sense of urgency in my work as special rapporteur. But they are also intelligent little people, and they understand and respect what I do to a certain extent. I want them to know that justice is not just for us as a family, but for all of us. It is something worth living for. But when I observe an enormous injustice—as with people who have been persecuted for decades—I cannot remain silent. Especially not if I'm in a position where I can contribute to the discussion around it."
I then ask directly in our conversation: "Have you received threats like 'I'm going to kill you'?"
“You know I receive threats. But I'd rather not go into that. Let's say it's taken care of. »
I mention when I met the Russian critical journalist Anna Politkovskaja in Oslo a few years ago, where I asked her directly about the risk she was taking: "Are you really doing this, with such a big risk? What about your kids and everything, your life? She looked at me intently and said, "I just have to do it."
"Their tragedy cannot be used to justify other crimes."
And then she was killed. Albanese reacts: "No, don't put this on me!" I quickly reply, "It's risky, my point is I respect what you're doing." She replies:
"You don't have to be religious to believe in the value of life. Being in our humanity matters. It concerns us as individuals as part of a collective or society. This is about us as bearers of values. We maintain an ethic that goes beyond who we are as individuals."
