Independent Jewish Voices unequivocally stands in support of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian Territory, in the face of a shameful smear campaign orchestrated by organizations like CIJA, B’nai Brith, and UN Watch.
These groups have (once again) resorted to unsubstantiated accusations of antisemitism against Ms. Albanese, cynically weaponizing this serious charge in a blatant attempt to silence a respected human rights advocate whose work holds Israel accountable for its ongoing occupation, genocide, and systemic abuses in Palestine.
These baseless accusations come from pro-Israel lobbying groups and politicians while Israel itself is waging war against the UN. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon has killed and injured hundreds of UN aid workers, while Israel’s parliament has recently passed bills banning UNRWA.
These allegations are blatant attempts to smear and discredit Albanese’s work documenting human rights abuses in order to justify Israel’s ongoing and flagrant violations of international law. They are disingenuous and intended to distort the truth, diminishing the genuine fight against antisemitism.
These organizations are grasping at straws, weaponizing the term to shield Israel from critique rather than addressing the root causes of violence and oppression in the region – Zionism.
Independent Jewish Voices calls on the public to see through this baseless and cynical campaign against Francesca Albanese.
We urge others to stand up against this abuse of power, recognizing the damage caused to Jewish communities when false accusations of antisemitism are wielded.
By trivializing antisemitism to stifle advocacy for Palestinian rights, these organizations not only betray their own biases but actively undermine the struggle against real antisemitism.