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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/france-calls-for-albanese-s-resignation-over-remarks-on--isr">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">France calls for Albanese\u2019s resignation over remarks on "Israel"</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time">February 11, 2026</div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>France
has called for the resignation of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca
Albanese over remarks she made about "Israel" during an Al Jazeera
forum, as supporters argue her comments were taken out of context amid
ongoing political pressure against her mandate.</p><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
<a href="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2026/2/11/0946ee89-efce-494d-a190-9a5a41df1031.jpg?width=1000" tabindex="0"><img src="https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2026/2/11/0946ee89-efce-494d-a190-9a5a41df1031.jpg?width=1000&preset=w750" alt="Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, center, attends a press conference by international activists seeking to deliver aid to Gaza on a flotilla, in Tunis, Tunisia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img"></a>
Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West
Bank and Gaza, center, attends a press conference by international
activists seeking to deliver aid to Gaza on a flotilla, in Tunis,
Tunisia, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 (AP)
</li></div></ul>
<p>France has called for the resignation of the UN special rapporteur
for the Palestinian territories following remarks she made about
"Israel" during a forum organized by <em>Al Jazeera</em>.</p>
<p>\u201cFrance unreservedly condemns the outrageous and reprehensible
remarks made by Ms Francesca Albanese, which are directed not at the
Israeli government, whose policies may be criticized, but at Israel as a
people and as a nation, which is absolutely unacceptable,\u201d Barrot told
French lawmakers.</p>
<h2>Remarks at the Al Jazeera forum</h2>
<p>Speaking at the forum organized by the Al Jazeera network on Saturday, Albanese said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"The fact that instead of stopping Israel, most of the world has
armed, given Israel political excuses, political sheltering, economic
and financial support is a challenge. The fact that most of the media in
the Western world has been amplifying the pro-apartheid genocidal
narrative is a challenge. And here also lies the opportunity. Because if
international law has been stabbed in the heart, it is also true that
never before has the global community seen the challenges that we all
face. We who do not control large amounts of financial capital,
algorithms, and weapons now see that we, as humanity, have a common
enemy, and that freedoms, the respect of fundamental freedoms, are the
last peaceful avenue, the last peaceful toolbox that we have to regain
our freedom."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On Monday, Albanese posted on X:</p>
<p>"My full AJ Forum speech last week: the common enemy of humanity is
THE SYSTEM that has enabled the genocide in Palestine, including the
financial capital that funds it, the algorithms that obscure it, and the
weapons that enable it."</p>
<h2>US sanctions and escalating pressure</h2>
<p>The controversy in France comes after targeted campaigns against Albanese from Washington.</p>
<p>On July 9 2025, <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-sanctions-on-albanese-shamefully-undermine-justice--amnes">US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Albanese</a>,
accusing her of what he described as \u201cillegitimate and shameful\u201d
efforts to push the International Criminal Court to investigate US and
Israeli officials and entities.</p>
<p>\u201cToday I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special
Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts
to prompt ICC action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and
executives,\u201d Rubio wrote in a post on X. \u201cWe will always stand by our
partners in their right to self-defense," he added.</p>
<p>The sanctions followed the release of a report compiled by Albanese
examining corporate and financial links to what she described as an
\u201ceconomy of genocide\u201d in Gaza.</p>
<p>The report called for corporations to sever business ties with
"Israel" and urged accountability for alleged violations of
international law.</p></div></div></div>
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