Jerusalem, 16 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar slammed UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on Monday, calling for a concerted effort to counter what he described as her delegitimization of Israel.
“Last weekend, at least five European foreign ministers sharply criticized Albanese and called for her to resign. She is antisemitic,” Sa’ar told a delegation of American Jewish leaders in jerusalem. “Immediately, from the Palestinian Authority to Hamas and even the core of the antisemitic left, they jumped to her defense. Their motives are clear. I believe that we must be on the offensive, not on the defensive. We must delegitimize those who delegitimize us.”
Albanese is an Italian legal scholar who holds the UN mandate for the Palestinian territories. She sparked international outcry last week when she described Israel as a “common enemy of humanity.” She participated by video in a conference organized by Al Jazeera in Doha, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior Hamas figure Khaled Mashaal.
The remarks led to a wave of European criticism, with officials in France, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic publicly calling for her dismissal in recent days. Dozens of British lawmakers have urged London to press for her removal, while Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said her statements and conduct make calls for resignation “inevitable.” Italy’s ruling Brothers of Italy party has also begun collecting signatures demanding Albanese’s removal.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot denounced her remarks as “antisemitic,” adding that Albanese “presents herself as an independent UN expert, but she is neither an expert nor independent — she is a political activist who fuels hatred.” He went on to say Albanese’s conduct was damaging both to the Palestinian cause she claims to support and to the credibility of UN institutions.
Albanese, who formerly worked for the embattled UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has a history of sharply critical statements about Israel. In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, she cast doubt on allegations of sexual violence by Hamas terrorists and accused Israel and the United States of spreading misinformation to justify escalating the war. In 2024, she called for a pharmaceutical boycott of Israel, described it as a “genocide-supporting society,” and suggested Israelis abroad should be considered suspect and investigated.
She has called Israel an “apartheid” state and repeatedly compared the Palestinian situation to the Nazi Holocaust.
Days after two people were killed in twin bombings of Jerusalem bus stops in 2022, she told an audience at a Hamas-organized event, “you have a right to resist Israel.”
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Albanese in July 2025. She is banned from entering the U.S., and any property or assets she holds in the country or its banks may be frozen. The restrictions may also extend to immediate family members.
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