The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations has attacked Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, describing her as a “witch”.
His remarks came after Albanese presented her latest report, entitled “Gaza Genocide: A Collective Crime”, to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, in which she accused the international community of complicity in what she described as a “genocidal war” against the Palestinian people.
During the session, Israel’s representative, Danny Danon, told Albanese: “You are a witch, and this report is another page in your spell book.” He accused her of trying to “curse Israel with lies and hatred.”
He went on to say: “Every page of this report is an empty spell, and every accusation is a charm that does not work because you are a failed witch.”
Albanese appeared unfazed by Danon’s remarks. She responded mockingly: “It is grotesque and frankly delusional that a state accused of genocide cannot respond to the substance of my findings, and the best thing that he resorts to is accusing me of witchcraft.”
She added that if she truly had the power to make spells, she “would not use them for revenge, but to stop your crimes once and for all.”