158: Francesca Albanese - Palestinian Human Rights

This episode features a conversation with Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, who details the legal and political realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She argues that Israel’s 57-year occupation is unlawful and functions as a vehicle for annexation and repression, characterizing it as apartheid. Albanese asserts that Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza, as part of a long-term plan to create a Greater Israel devoid of Palestinians, and that this is increasingly extending to the repression of Jewish citizens who oppose the occupation. She critiques the international community's insufficient response, highlighting the need for accountability through sanctions and divestment, and stresses the importance of recognizing Palestinian rights – including the right to self-determination, an end to apartheid, and reparations – before pursuing political solutions like a two-state solution. Ultimately, she emphasizes the urgent need to halt the ongoing destruction and potential erasure of the Palestinian people and to shift focus towards protecting their fundamental human rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-palestine/francesca-albanese Ms. Francesca Albanese is an international lawyer, specialised in human rights and the Middle East. Since May 2022, she has served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 (oPt).