Reminiscent of the unsuccessful campaign against the Palestinian writers at this year’s Adelaide Writers’ Week, the Israel Lobby, via the Australian Jewish News (AJN) on 28 September, fired the first salvo in an anticipated campaign against the 2023 Edward Said Memorial Lecturer, Ms Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.
Ms Albanese will deliver the Edward Said Memorial Lecture in Adelaide on 11 November. On 14 November she will address the National Press Club. Panicked that Ms Albanese should be invited to address Australian journalists at such a prestigious event, the AJN describes Ms Albanese as “having a history” of using and promoting “ugly tropes about Jews and extreme, virulent views about Israel”. The article falls short of calling Ms Albanese antisemitic but signals that this is what should be focused on by those at the Press Club.
Ms Albanese is no stranger to being vilified due to her factual reporting on the situation facing the Palestinians. In response to the AJN article, AFOPA’s Chairperson, Ms Christa Christaki has released the following statement, which is supported by two letters, one from Israeli-British historian, Emeritus Professor of Oxford University, Avi Shlaim and the other signed by 65 scholars of antisemitism, Holocaust, Jewish Studies and related fields:
"We find these baseless allegations unsurprising, as they appear designed to disseminate disinformation and tarnish the reputation of Mrs. Albanese and her mandate. Such tactics have long been employed by certain of Israel's support groups to shield Israeli apartheid policies towards Palestinians from scrutiny, and, as a former Special Rapporteur aptly noted, to deflect attention from the harsh realities on the ground.
However, let it be clear that Mrs. Albanese's track record in upholding human rights is beyond reproach. Her life exemplifies an unwavering commitment to human rights and justice. Her lifelong efforts for human rights and justice have further been endorsed by numerous members of the global Jewish community, both overseas and in Israel.
As Emeritus Professor of Oxford University, Avi Shlaim has remarked: "The three main pillars of Judaism are truth, justice, and peace. Ms Albanese personifies these values to a remarkably high degree. And there will be many Jews worldwide, disturbed by Israel’s departure from these core Jewish values, who may have reason to thank her for upholding them." Many other prominent Jewish scholars have vehemently defended the Special Rapporteur against these unfounded accusations.
Knowing Mrs. Albanese, we trust that she will be willing to engage with Australian Jewish News, along with other Jewish organizations in the country, and with anyone genuinely interested in fostering a peaceful and equitable future for both Palestinians and Israelis, as she has always been doing since the beginning of her mandate. As she says: "Human rights, without exception, are universal: they are either for all or for no one. The situation in the oPt is extremely complex scenario involving two people, millions of lives, who find themselves ensnared, albeit with varying degrees of responsibility and suffering - it is not about siding with one or the other, it is about recognising the value of human life, dignity, human rights and need for freedom of all."