Paris accuses human rights envoy of inciting hate and relentless bias as tensions between France and Albanese reach breaking point.
The French government has called for the resignation of the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese following controversial remarks in which she reportedly characterised Israel as a “common enemy” of humanity.
The announcement, delivered on Wednesday by foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot to the national assembly, marks an escalation in the friction between a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an independent UN mandate holder.
Doha flashpoint
The catalyst for this diplomatic rupture occurred on 7 February during a forum in Doha, Qatar. Addressing a panel via videoconference, Albanese discussed the international community’s role in the Gaza conflict.
“We who do not control large amounts of financial capital, algorithms and weapons – we now see that we as a humanity have a common enemy,” Albanese stated, referring to the forces enabling what she has termed a genocide in Gaza.
The French foreign ministry moved swiftly to condemn the phrasing. “France unreservedly condemns these outrageous remarks,” Barrot told lawmakers.
He argued that Albanese’s language was directed not at government policy but at “Israel as a people and as a nation,” a distinction Paris views as a transition from legal criticism to hate speech.
Past grievances
This week’s demand for resignation is the culmination of nearly two years of tensions.
In early 2024, Albanese drew French ire by suggesting the 7 October Hamas attacks were a response to “oppression” rather than antisemitism – a view President Emmanuel Macron called a “disgrace.”
In July 2025, the US imposed sanctions on Albanese, accusing her of “political warfare.” This has reportedly left her unable to access her salary or use standard banking services.
French officials have repeatedly criticised Albanese’s use of Holocaust-related terminology to describe the situation in Gaza.
Albanese defence
Speaking to France 24 shortly before the resignation demand was made public, Albanese dismissed the accusations as a “manipulation” of her words.
“I have never, ever said ‘Israel is the common enemy of humanity,'” she insisted, arguing that her remarks were about the systemic failures of global power structures rather than an attack on a specific nation.
She maintains that she is being targeted by a coordinated “smear campaign” intended to deflect attention from her reports on human rights violations.
France has announced it will formally bring the matter to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 23 February.
While the UN Special Rapporteur is an independent role and cannot be fired directly by a single member state, the loss of support from a major European power significantly weakens her standing.
Italy
In Albanese’s native Italy, the right-wing Lega party – whose leader and Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini was recognised last year as “Israel’s best friend in Italy” – echoed the resignation calls from France.
Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI), speaking to Italian news agency ANSA, said: “It is good that a French government voice joins ours in calling for recognition in the insane words uttered by Albanese, a profound and destructive hatred not only of the right of Israel and the Jewish people to exist, but also of our democracies”.
Photo credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com.
