“We denounce actions by Ministers of certain States to rely on manufactured facts and criticise Ms Albanese for statements that she never made,” the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council said in a press release.
In her address, Albanese used the phrase: “We as a humanity have a common enemy.” During her comments and after her speech she said the words had referred to a “system” — which included media and Western governments — that supported Israel even as it perpetrated a “genocide” in Gaza.
But critics said Albanese had directed an antisemitic smear at Israel. An abridged version of the video, posted by the executive director of the UN Watch advocacy group, made it appear Albanese had referred to Israel as humanity’s common enemy. The altered video has been viewed more than 1 million times on X.
Demands for Albanese’s resignation followed. These were led by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and supported by Germany, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.
Barrot’s call was applauded by U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner. Albanese was placed under U.S. sanctions last year, and the State Department condemned her “unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West.”
Albanese has rejected the allegations of antisemitism fueled by the recent video clip.
