Albanese: Ben-Gvir's Violations Represent the Israeli Government's Approach, and the Gaza Scenario Threatens Other Countries

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, affirmed that European reactions to the Israeli attacks on the Global Freedom Flotilla were necessary but severely delayed. She explained in media statements that these stances did not rise to the level of crimes committed by Tel Aviv against Palestinians daily, noting that limiting condemnation to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is an inadequacy in describing the situation.

Albanese stressed that what happened to the international solidarity activists represents the behavior of an entire government, not just individual actions, as activists were abducted from international waters and their ships were seized in a manner resembling piracy. She added that these activists were subjected to assault, beating, and arrest merely for their courage and refusal to back down in the face of Israeli threats while heading to break the siege on the Gaza Strip.

The UN Rapporteur considered that Benjamin Netanyahu's government, supported by the Knesset and the Israeli judiciary, has succeeded in transforming grave violations against Palestinians into a permanent behavior and an acquired right exercised against any opponent of its policies. She indicated that this institutional approach provides legal and political cover for repressive practices that transcend all applicable international laws and norms.

Albanese affirmed that the violations committed by Ben-Gvir against the Flotilla activists are an extension of what tens of thousands of Palestinians are subjected to, who are abducted, tortured, and raped in detention centers. She expressed her astonishment at the absence of clear European condemnations of these systematic crimes targeting Palestinian individuals through various inhumane means.

She called on countries to stop funding Israel through economic agreements and immediately refrain from supplying it with weapons used to kill civilians. She also appealed to some Arab countries that support Tel Aviv's policies to review their positions and stop this support, which contributes to the continued suffering of the Palestinian people under occupation.

Albanese warned that Israel will not cease its practices unless it faces a real international deterrent, asserting that it will continue its policies of killing, starvation, and assaults within prisons as a permanent approach. She cautioned that international silence would give the green light for the Gaza scenario to be repeated in other countries in the region, which has already begun to manifest clearly in attacks on Lebanon and Iran.

The UN Rapporteur revealed shocking figures documented in her latest report for 2024, confirming the disappearance of over 4,000 Palestinians after their arrest by occupation forces. She indicated that the report included documentation of cases of rape and serious physical and psychological violations systematically practiced within Israeli interrogation centers and detention facilities.

In a related context, Albanese mentioned that about 100 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since the current government began using abuse as an official policy. She held National Security Minister Ben-Gvir directly responsible, while also emphasizing that responsibility lies with the parliament and judiciary, which enacted harsh laws, including the law for executing prisoners.

Albanese expressed her surprise at the silence of academic, human rights, and judicial elites within Israel regarding these crimes, despite the existence of limited Israeli voices protesting the apartheid policy. She described Ben-Gvir's filming of the abuse of activists as a narcissistic behavior reflecting arrogance resulting from an absolute feeling of impunity and lack of international accountability.

On the international level, sources reported that France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada summoned Israeli ambassadors to provide official explanations regarding the attack on activists. Britain also expressed its shock at the videos published by Ben-Gvir, which show the humiliation of international solidarity activists during their arbitrary arrest.

Regarding the decision to remove her name from the US sanctions list, Albanese explained that this development resulted from an independent judicial decision, not a change in US administration policy. She noted that her daughter, who holds US citizenship, had filed a legal protest to end the injustice against an international employee enjoying UN protection.

The UN Rapporteur anticipated that attempts to silence her would continue, especially by the current US administration, similar to what is happening with International Criminal Court judges. She affirmed that these pressures would not deter her from performing her duty to document crimes and provide necessary recommendations to prosecute those involved in human rights violations.

Albanese had previously recommended prosecuting Israeli and American officials for war crimes before international courts. She also accused major American companies in her reports of complicity in the ongoing genocide campaign in the Gaza Strip, which exposed her to widespread pressure and financial and diplomatic sanctions.

It is worth noting that the US Federal Judiciary found that the sanctions imposed on Albanese likely violated her right to freedom of expression, leading to their temporary suspension. Albanese remains one of the most prominent international voices documenting occupation violations, despite continuous incitement campaigns against her by official circles in Tel Aviv and Washington.

Failure to confront Israel means it will repeat what it did in Gaza in other countries, which it has already done in Lebanon and Iran.