Decades of impunity enjoyed by Israel while breaking international law, colonising Palestinian land and forcefully displacing Palestinians, has weakened the United Nations, the UN’s special rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territories has said.
If the UN is to “salvage its reputation” and “purpose”, Israel must be held accountable for its actions, Francesca Albanese said on social media.
Commenting on Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s criticism of the UN and instructions to deny an Israeli visa to one UN staff member and not extend the visa of a second staffer, Albanese said Israel’s “baseless attacks” on the “UN only proves moral cowardice”.
Albanese also said the consequences of the UN not holding Israel to account for its actions “is playing itself out in Gaza today”.
“Without freedom for all, there will be freedom for none,” the rapporteur wrote on social media.
Earlier, Cohen called the UN “a disgrace” and accused Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of legitimising war crimes and crimes against humanity.
1/2. Baseless attacks agst the UN only proves moral cowardice. The UN has been weakened by decades of ISR impunity for breaches of Intl Law,incl colonisation of occup.territory & Pal. forced displacement.
The UN must hold ISR to account if it is to salvage its reputation/purpose.— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) December 25, 2023
