Anti-Israel UN official accepted money from pro-Hamas NGOs

Francesca Albanese, who blamed Israel for the October 7th massacres, took $20,000 from pro-Hamas organizations, a watchdog group reveals.

By World Israel News Staff

An anti-Israel United Nations official illicitly received $20,000 to fund a trip to Australia and New Zealand, with the money coming from pro-Hamas groups that supported the October 7th massacres, according to a watchdog group.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, is a vehement critic of Israel who has frequently repeated disproven claims about Israel and promoted a pro-Hamas narrative that downplays the terror group’s atrocities.

UN Watch, an advocacy group calling for greater transparency in the UN’s operations, revealed that Albanese lied about the sources of funding for an international trip.

While Albanese claims that her visit to Australia and New Zealand was paid for by the UN, the trip was actually sponsored by numerous pro-Palestinian groups, including the Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFPA), Free Palestine Melbourne, and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), UN Watch said.

APFA wrote on social media that they had paid for Albanese’s trip and posted content lionizing slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

APAN, another sponsor of the visit, is run by a man who was previously suspected of funneling charitable funds to Hamas in Gaza, according to a Sky News report.

“Albanese has compounded her misconduct, accepting funding from Hamas-supporting organizations and then lying by claiming the UN paid for her trip,” said UN Watch director Hillel Neuer in a media statement.

“She continues to abuse her UN post daily, spreading antisemitism and Hamas propaganda through social media, TV appearances and false reports,” Neuer added. “Every day she remains in office damages the integrity of the UN Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole.”

Earlier this week, UN Watch raised concerns about the legality of Albanese’s reappointment to her role. According to the group, her term was extended in violation of UN policies, which require letters objecting to her tenure to be publicly presented.

The Human Rights Committee, which is responsible for Albanese’s mandate, failed to review letters from the U.S., Argentinian, and Israeli governments expressing concerns over her reappointment.