French Foreign Minister Accused of Misrepresenting UN Report on Palestinian Territories, Faces Resignation Calls
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, in a significant act of protest, more than 150 distinguished political personalities and diplomats have penned an open letter, accusing Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, of “disseminating false information” concerning the remarks made by Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories. The signatories, who include former Dutch diplomats and former ministers from Greece, Argentina, and Denmark, have called for the French Foreign Minister’s resignation.
These figures have strongly condemned the “use of false and distorted statements to discredit an independent UN appointee.” This reaction follows accusations by certain representatives close to the French government against Albanese, alleging she described the Israeli regime as a common enemy of humanity. Albanese has vehemently denied this claim, labeling it a false accusation stemming from a distortion of her words.
Previously, the French Foreign Minister, alongside several Western governments including Germany and Italy, had cited incomplete quotes to describe Albanese’s statements as “shameful” and had called for her resignation. These developments occurred after Albanese’s video address at the “Al Jazeera Forum,” where she referred to a system that prevents “Israel” from being held accountable as a common enemy of humanity. In an interview with France 24, Albanese emphasized that she had never described “Israel” as a common enemy of humanity but had spoken about crimes, apartheid, and genocide, criticizing a system that obstructs the administration of justice.
It is pertinent to note that the administration of Donald Trump also imposed sanctions on Albanese in June of the previous year, sanctions typically used against entities associated with terrorism. This action followed her repeated criticisms of the Israeli regime’s policies and her dispatch of warning letters to several American companies, including Lockheed Martin.
