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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

Israel calling Francesca Albanese a witch!?

289 replies

Everexpanding · 29/10/2025 16:17

I understand anti semite was losing its power to silence but now Israel is calling Francesca Albanese a witch??? At a meeting of the UN?
Has the Israeli government lost it’s mind

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Original poster
Everexpanding · 20/11/2025 14:09

Further info on the sanctions imposed on Francesca Albanese
See below excerpt from statement:

“Sanctioning the Special Rapporteur for fulfilling this responsibility, which is mandated by the Human Rights Council, is a direct attack on the integrity of the UN human rights system. These measures violate international law, including the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The 1946 Convention accords UN experts such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the independent exercise of their functions. Violating this framework sends a dangerous message, threatens the independence of the Special Procedures system and has a chilling effect on global human rights advocacy. States that disagree with the views of UN experts should constructively engage with them through established processes of diplomatic dialogue.

The targeting of the Special Rapporteur cannot be separated from the egregious international crimes and human rights abuses being perpetrated against Palestinians and the longstanding efforts to delegitimise those who defend their rights. The prejudice and threats faced by human rights defenders – whether they are scholars, civil society actors, UN officials or experts – reflect a broader strategy of silencing dissent and shielding abusive power structures from scrutiny.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2025/08/us-sanctions-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-threaten-human-rights-system

OP posts:
MissyB1 · 20/11/2025 11:39

Ellen2shoes · 19/11/2025 22:46

Albanese has been sanctioned for speaking out and has now actually been branded a witch. Could there be a more modern day public example of a ‘a witch hunt’? And this is supposed to be civilisation?

Proof that It’s still dangerous to upset “the powers that be” even in 2025 unfortunately.

Ellen2shoes · 19/11/2025 22:46

Albanese has been sanctioned for speaking out and has now actually been branded a witch. Could there be a more modern day public example of a ‘a witch hunt’? And this is supposed to be civilisation?

Twiglets1 · 09/11/2025 18:01

SameOldHill · 09/11/2025 17:45

Well the international community should obviously. But you’re right, they’re not neutral. The US has a disproportionate amount of power in the UN and the international community at large and they are, as we have seen, way too biased in favour of Israel.

Sadly, Hind Rajab, the murdered journalists and health care workers, the innocent everyday people of Gaza will never see justice.

The last two years have made a mockery of international law.

No one in the international community will seem unbiased to everyone either.

I agree the US are not impartial but neither are any other country it seems. That is what makes justice & truth seem like impossible concepts.

I feel like “kill first investigate later” could equally apply to Hamas except they don’t even pretend they will investigate because killings are always justified against Jews/Israelis in their mind.

SameOldHill · 09/11/2025 17:45

Well the international community should obviously. But you’re right, they’re not neutral. The US has a disproportionate amount of power in the UN and the international community at large and they are, as we have seen, way too biased in favour of Israel.

Sadly, Hind Rajab, the murdered journalists and health care workers, the innocent everyday people of Gaza will never see justice.

The last two years have made a mockery of international law.

Twiglets1 · 09/11/2025 17:28

SameOldHill · 09/11/2025 16:11

But that’s the point. They won’t be investigated. The IDF is constantly asked to investigate itself which is ridiculous because you’re trusting the perpetrator to investigate itself.
It’s always been a matter of kill first, investigate later.

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Who could investigate them? No one is neutral.

Twiglets1 · 09/11/2025 17:26

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 12:48

MR doesn’t claim to be an expert on Gaza so why would anyone suggest that?

But he is succinct in his observations of how the result of the ban on journalism causes people to doubt that ANY story is true, hence the conflicting versions reflected here - and ultimately allowing atrocities to continue.

We’re in agreement that he isn’t one. But his name does get wheeled out a lot as some kind of Gotcha which it isn’t because his opinion is no more valid than anyone else’s.

SameOldHill · 09/11/2025 16:11

SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 12:30

About some things, of course. But like with everything else to do with this conflict they are not immune to bias and I wouldn't take anything they say at face value. Deaths of journalists, and whether they are just journalists should of course be investigated.

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But that’s the point. They won’t be investigated. The IDF is constantly asked to investigate itself which is ridiculous because you’re trusting the perpetrator to investigate itself.
It’s always been a matter of kill first, investigate later.

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 12:48

MR doesn’t claim to be an expert on Gaza so why would anyone suggest that?

But he is succinct in his observations of how the result of the ban on journalism causes people to doubt that ANY story is true, hence the conflicting versions reflected here - and ultimately allowing atrocities to continue.

SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 12:30

Everexpanding · 09/11/2025 11:42

@SharonEllis do you think the organisation below might have more expertise on this issue than you

The Global Voice of Journalists
The IFJ, the world's largest organisation of journalists, represents 600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries.
Established in 1926, the IFJ is the organisation that speaks for journalists within the United Nations system and within the international trade union movement.

please see below their call for Israel to be held accountable for the 248 journalists they have killed in Gaza ,
their call for accountability includes the names of all 248 journalists in case you wish to smear them all as being Hamas, they are dead so can’t reply
Also they call for international journalists to be allowed in to Gaza
https://www.ifj.org/war-in-gaza

War in Gaza
War in Gaza: Israel must be held accountable

Edited

About some things, of course. But like with everything else to do with this conflict they are not immune to bias and I wouldn't take anything they say at face value. Deaths of journalists, and whether they are just journalists should of course be investigated.

Twiglets1 · 09/11/2025 12:08

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 11:40

No, Michael Rosen the wordsmith who manages to say a lot with very few words. Unlike some.

Being a wordsmith doesn't make him any more of an expert on Gaza than the people you debate with on MN so I don't know why people keep quoting him like he is some kind of expert.

@SharonEllis isn't bringing rude personal comments into the debate so there's no need for anyone else to start.

Original poster
Everexpanding · 09/11/2025 11:42

@SharonEllis do you think the organisation below might have more expertise on this issue than you

The Global Voice of Journalists
The IFJ, the world's largest organisation of journalists, represents 600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries.
Established in 1926, the IFJ is the organisation that speaks for journalists within the United Nations system and within the international trade union movement.

please see below their call for Israel to be held accountable for the 248 journalists they have killed in Gaza ,
their call for accountability includes the names of all 248 journalists in case you wish to smear them all as being Hamas, they are dead so can’t reply
Also they call for international journalists to be allowed in to Gaza
https://www.ifj.org/war-in-gaza

War in Gaza
War in Gaza: Israel must be held accountable

OP posts:
Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 11:40

No, Michael Rosen the wordsmith who manages to say a lot with very few words. Unlike some.

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 11:11

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SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 11:02

Ah yes, Michael Rosen, seasoned war correspondent and strategic urban warfare expert sending despatches from a conflict zone, hang on, is he back in comfortable Muswell Hill now?

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 10:29

Michael puts it best….

How come? Surely with the world's eyes on Gaza and Israel, nothing can be concealed, disguised or re-represented?
Well, to do this you need two things working in tandem. You need the world's media to regard anything produced by Palestinians and/or networks from within the Arab world as useless, suspicious, lying, Hamas propaganda. Second, you need a situation in which the 'trusted' media (BBC, NBC, Fox, CNN, Reuters, PA etc etc) are not allowed in.

SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 10:13

If ournalists are Hamas operatives or protected by Hamas they will be embedded with Hamas and therefore likely to be in Hamas locations targetted by the IDF. It does not mean journalists are targetted by the IDF for being journalists.

Ellen2shoes · 09/11/2025 10:03

O for goodness sake.

Do you seriously expect people to believe that Israel has not let international journalists in for their own safety and that it has murdered hundreds of Palestinian journalists because they are Hamas?

SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 09:57

NikkiPotnick · 09/11/2025 09:53

Asking me for an explanation of Israel's actions is, in fact, total proof that you misunderstood the point. Which was that we're equally applying the can't possibly say for certain and can't surmise either approach. If you surmising the bleeding obvious counts as logic, the same is true for others.

And speaking as someone who does think the Israelis have something to hide, your Jeremy Bowen example is really poor and you're articulating our point badly. Of course there could be security implications if someone takes photos of a war zone from a plane window. You've not even listed the other possible explanations, much less eliminated them.

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Not for the first or even the hundredth time its as if people are unfamiliar with the nature of conflict. Which so often shapes the narrative that Israel is uniquely awful.

NikkiPotnick · 09/11/2025 09:53

Thedawnchorus · 09/11/2025 09:39

I have not misunderstood anything. Logic can be applied in certain situations when you can eliminate all other possibilities. You are trying to surmise that Hamas won't let in international journalists is based on nothing more than your opinion. My logic tells me that Israel won't let international journalists in because they have something to hide from the rest of the world. How do we know it is not about protection. Simple. Jeremy Bowen not being allowed to photograph out of a plane window is nothing to do with protection unless they were worried he would fall out. Also, I know, Israel knows, the international courts also know, that it is not Israel's job to protect journalists. They're just not supposed to kill them.

Show quote history

Asking me for an explanation of Israel's actions is, in fact, total proof that you misunderstood the point. Which was that we're equally applying the can't possibly say for certain and can't surmise either approach. If you surmising the bleeding obvious counts as logic, the same is true for others.

And speaking as someone who does think the Israelis have something to hide, your Jeremy Bowen example is really poor and you're articulating our point badly. Of course there could be security implications if someone takes photos of a war zone from a plane window. You've not even listed the other possible explanations, much less eliminated them.

SameOldHill · 09/11/2025 09:43

Israel accusing someone of being a Hamas operative? Oh my, we must believe them! They’ve told the truth about everything else.

SharonEllis · 09/11/2025 09:41

Yeah right!

Thedawnchorus · 09/11/2025 09:41

I've got stuff today so I'm taking a break from posting. Need to harvest my olives before the IDF busses in a load of settlers to burn them.