We held an exclusive interview with Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, who discussed the Emergency Ministerial Meeting in Colombia and the sanctions recently made by the U.S. teleSUR
00:00Welcome back. And now we are with our special guest, UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who is here with us, giving us her time.
00:16And like this, my first question to you is that at the emergency conference in the head to stop the genocide in Gaza,
00:25your state might this meeting in Colombia mark a historic moment when states rise to do what is right.
00:32Why do you think it took two years to move from denunciations to collective actions and what has also changed?
00:46I would be cautious in the sense that we are not there yet.
00:50I will say that I see concrete measures collectively taken in order to stop the genocide when I see them.
01:01And I did say that this is an historical moment because it's true, because countries from the global majority, the global south, have come forward,
01:13first of all doing concrete things. And Colombia and South Africa are two of the states who have been the most daring
01:22in taking concrete measures, for example, suspending the transfers of certain goods, etc.
01:32More needs to be done. What I think is really revolutionary right now, in the current political constellation,
01:43in the world, what is really important for... Sorry, can I say that again?
01:54What I think is really potentially revolutionary of the Hague group is that it's bringing states together to do the right thing,
02:05not to transfer weapons, not to offer ports that transfer goods that can be detrimental to the Palestinians,
02:16particularly armaments, and then offering spaces for accountability, so to enforce international law,
02:27to arrest and prosecute those who have been inducted, for example, by crimes by the International Criminal Court,
02:35or responding to the ICJ advisory opinion, which is asking basically the cessation of relations
02:46that can be harmful to the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
02:49Of course, we know that the occupation cannot be separated from the rest of Israel,
02:54neither in terms of politics nor in terms of economics.
02:57So I do see a huge potential, but the potential needs to be translated into an act,
03:05and for it to happen, member states need to be really engaged, committed, and think...
03:15Really, it's like closing your eyes and doing the right thing, and this is what member states have to do.
03:20And in the case of Colombia, for example, and other states, including in the region, states in the global south,
03:29this includes suspending the free trade agreements with Israel,
03:34suspending the transfer, the sale of natural resources like coal.
03:41It means stop buying weapons and security and surveillance services,
03:48which Israel tests on the Palestinians and themselves.
03:52And then, of course, cut ties, economic, financial, military, strategic ties with Israel.
03:59This is what needs to be done right now.
04:01And during your tenure as a special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory,
04:09you published several reports, but your latest one,
04:13The Academy of Genocide and Unresolved Settlements,
04:18lead the US to impose sanctions on you.
04:20As a human rights advocate, how do you receive these unilateral measures?
04:26First of all, let me explain why this report hit a nerve.
04:41I wrote that Israel has, over the years, maintained an economy of the occupation made of using private actors
04:50to advance the displacement and replacement of the Palestinians, for example.
04:55Israel would have not been able to displace the Palestinians without the weapons used to brutalize and terrorize them,
05:02without the construction machinery used to demolish their homes, to control their land,
05:09to uproot the orchards, for example, the olive trees,
05:14and then to build infrastructure of segregations from wall checkpoints
05:18and the surveillance techniques and devices that have been used against the Palestinians.
05:24And also, the replacement pillar is made of private sector complicity,
05:30because, for example, imagine the construction of settlements and the settlement infrastructure.
05:36It requires companies providing services and helping build this infrastructure,
05:44but also things of the goods and services.
05:47These are needed businesses, companies, both to produce and to circulate these goods,
05:56the goods produced in the occupied Palestinian territory.
06:00And, of course, this has helped replace the Palestinians,
06:05but also I would like to make the comment that what happens in the settlements is extremely connected to the life in Israel.
06:13Israel maintained the colonies in order to have 10% of its population living with very convenient housing conditions
06:21in the occupied Palestinian territory.
06:23Israel exploits all the water and other natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory depriving the Palestinians.
06:30And all this, which is an economy of the occupation,
06:33would have not been possible without the involvement of other actors that would appear neutral,
06:40like banks, pension funds, or even universities.
06:44Now, these would have already exposed the companies to violations of international law and possibly liability,
06:57because they operate within an occupation that is deemed unlawful because it violates the right of self-determination of the Palestinians
07:06and translates into the imposition of apartheid and racial segregation.
07:10However, after the beginning of the genocide, these companies have turned, have enhanced their support,
07:18and without their engagement, the genocide would have not been possible, not possible with this destructive impact.
07:25For example, the weapons that have been used to control the Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territory
07:32have continued to be provided to Israel.
07:36Israel has customized them.
07:37Israel has used the services and advice from the military companies and arms manufacturers.
07:44Israel has used technology in order to customize these weapons and make them even more lethal,
07:53like unmanned technology, customized radars and killing drones or quadcopters, etc.
08:00And, of course, for each of the sectors that I investigated, I provided names.
08:06I named 48 companies, 20% of them are Americans, are in the US, sorry.
08:16And then, of course, I've made the recommendations.
08:19So, the position of the United States since mid-May, so after I had put on notice the companies,
08:28has been that I've engaged in anti-Semitic activities because how do I dare to allude to the fact
08:35that Israel or anything related to Israel can be profitable or someone can exploit the crimes committed against the Palestinians?
08:48I mean, this is a very twisted argument, and, of course, it does not stop there
08:52because eventually the United States has imposed the sanctions on me, which is appalling.
08:57Again, this is a precedent, the first case of this sort in the history of the United Nations.
09:04Hopefully the last one, but also it must be reversed because it's a dangerous assault
09:09against the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.
09:13And also about the decision of the US government, do you think, or, well, who do you think?
09:19The US administration is really targeting you personally or the system itself
09:24that is international law and international humanitarian law?
09:28I've often said that although the attacks against me have felt very personal many times, they're not just about me.
09:40What happens to me happens to so many individuals who work to advance justice and respect for human rights for all,
09:50both Palestinians and Israelis, but we are talking of rights for all and not privileges for some.
09:55And therefore, sorry, I forgot the question.
09:59If the US is targeting you or the system?
10:03Yeah, yeah. No, sorry, sorry.
10:05And so, yeah, attacking me somewhat attacks a system, sends a very clear message aiming possibly to silence critical voices,
10:17to silence advocacy, fact-finding, demands for accountability, but eventually my point is that while this might have a scary impact on us
10:35and a chilling effect on our relations, this is the moment to stand in solidarity.
10:40Solidarity means, I mean, the etymology of solidarity is interesting because solidum means united.
10:47We need to stand united in the face of these mafia-style intimidation techniques
10:54because only by standing united and not getting intimidated the system will finally be won over.
11:02And to the next one question.
11:04We report that three UN commissioners investigating Israel's crimes and genocide in Palestine
11:11has resigned due to the pressure and threats.
11:23You're sorry.
11:25They have not resigned under pressure or threat at all.
11:29And not only they said it, I'm 100 percent sure that this is the case
11:34because there are very solid commissioners who have been untouched and really unaffected.
11:40I mean, you have a senior judge who has been at the forefront of the exposure of genocides
11:48and other crimes from apartheid from South Africa to Rwanda and The Hague.
11:55And frankly, of course, it's been heavy for Justice Pillai to be disrespected as she has,
12:05but she's a tough cookie, so she has not.
12:07She had health issues, so she stepped down.
12:10And the other commissioners, there was one commissioner who has not been active, serving actively for other reasons.
12:20And so the only commissioner that remained is Commissioner Sidoti, who just said,
12:25we give the opportunity to the Human Rights Commission, sorry, to the Human Rights Council to appoint a commission ex novo.
12:35So I think it was very mature and generous what he did.
12:38And I truly hope that it will be confirmed because he's been an amazing commissioner, very vocal principal,
12:46and not easy to intimidate at all.
12:49Well, and in your personal position, you have chosen to stand and raise your voice.
12:55But do you feel any reprisal from political and also economical actors involved?
13:02Well, they just imposed the sanctions that will prevent me from holding assets and having credit cards
13:16and will impair my private and professional life significantly.
13:24Not sure what else they can do, frankly.
13:27But I would say, look, I've been mandated by the United Nations, by the Human Rights Council, to serve in this position.
13:36My responsibility, my mandate entails to look at the violations of international law committed by Israel
13:42in the occupied Palestinian territory.
13:44Why Israel?
13:45Because Israel has been committing crimes since 1967 in the land that it has occupied.
13:50What remains of Palestine, since even before Palestinian authorities,
13:54the Europe or de facto existed, Palestinian authorities or Hamas or others.
13:59So this is the reality.
14:00This is what I do.
14:01I look at the facts.
14:02I look at the norms.
14:03I conclude with legal analysis.
14:04And then I share my findings to the United Nations.
14:09This is what I'm supposed to do.
14:11I'm not an advocate.
14:12I'm just a lawyer who tries to be as professional as possible.
14:19And, yeah, some member states have punished me for that and my integrity.
14:27But the majority, no.
14:28The majority.
14:29And I've seen an increasing consensus and increasing support and absolute respect and love for this mandate,
14:35which is pretty unprecedented.
14:37And what you have said.
14:40Israel has committed a lot of crimes in this territory.
14:43And over the years, the United Nations has had multiple resolutions in favor of the Palestinian people,
14:50seeking to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and stop the genocide in Gaza.
14:54Yet Israel has violated all of them and continues massacring civilians.
14:59Many analysts' human rights defenders and citizens worldwide believe that UN has failed Palestine.
15:05Do you agree with these statements?
15:07Yes, I do.
15:22I do.
15:23Because after 70 years, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
15:28However, I would like to reflect on the fact that the United Nations is not an organization
15:34that exists independently from member states.
15:37It's made of member states.
15:38And the problem is not even the majority of member states has passed a number of resolutions
15:44because there's been almost an inflation of resolutions by the General Assembly,
15:50but simply because nothing has advanced.
15:53And mostly because of the veto of the U.S. in the Security Council or just the lack of action.
16:01I mean, it's not just the U.S.
16:03I mean, look at Europe.
16:04Europe has just renewed.
16:07It's reconfirmed and not suspended.
16:11That is grace.
16:12That is the EU association agreement, which is a clause that imposes the revision or rescission of the agreement
16:22based on if there are human rights violations.
16:25So there is, there has been an ideological affinity with Israel from a number of states
16:32and then connivance, complicity or other interests that have led to a sort of a paralysis of the international community
16:44when it comes to implementation of resolutions or international law to Palestine or Israel-Palestine.
16:51And if it were in your power, what would you change in the United Nations system
16:58or in multilateral relations to prevent these violations?
17:07Enforcement mechanisms.
17:10We cannot afford living in a world where might makes right, where we have norms
17:17and member states are the first to violate them with impunity.
17:23I would like to see immediate consequences for governments who violate international law.
17:32And I would like to see more, also more capacity to empathize.
17:40I would like to see the end of double standards and the end of exceptionalism and the triumph of universalism for real,
17:49where the rights of one are the rights of all after all.
17:52This is what I would like to see.
17:53Well, thank you very much, Francesca, for being here with us in this special interview.
18:00Thank you very much.
18:01Thank you very much.
18:02Gracias.
18:03Well, and this was the end of this special interview with you and the rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
18:11Like this, we have come to the end of this news brief and you can find this and many other stories on our website
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18:18For the Lesury English and from the South, Amanda Marrero, thank you for watching.
