(MENAFN) The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, met Monday with French parliamentarians to discuss the situation in Palestine. She also addressed international law, Europe’s political stance, and personal consequences she has faced following her reports on Palestine.

Members of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party attended the meeting, focusing on international law, Europe’s policies, and developments in Gaza amid tensions over France’s position on the conflict. LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon greeted Albanese warmly, praising her work on Palestinian rights. MPs Mathilde Panot, Gabrielle Cathala, and Thomas Portes were also present.

Albanese reflected on how her legal perspective has evolved over decades. “Thirty years ago, I saw the law as certainty and stability,” she said. “With maturity and practicing law, I felt it was a profession that serves truth and justice but also involves choices that can affect the freedom of others.”

She noted that her legal work, intended as a “bridge-building role,” has made her a target. “It is interesting how this role changed my life, because today I am attacked as an activist,” she said.

Albanese emphasized that her commitment stems from her belief that “what is being done to Palestinians is the exact opposite of justice.” She stressed that neutrality is essential to examine evidence objectively.

Albanese criticized parts of Europe’s political and media landscape, saying they are heavily influenced by “strategic lines dictated by the state of Israel.” She highlighted concerns over Italian parliamentarians visiting Israel at the expense of organizations linked to the Israeli military industry, and argued that political and media narratives often reflect “a colonial mindset that was never fully confronted.”

Quoting Israeli historian Raz Segal, she said, “The idea of ethnic purity was not born with Hitler, nor did it die with him.” Albanese added that the Palestinian experience forces Europe to confront its own past, linking the Holocaust to tools of domination historically used against indigenous peoples. “Palestine gives us the chance to understand that link,” she said.

Albanese described personal repercussions since publicly addressing Gaza. “My life and my family’s life are not what matter,” she said, emphasizing the need to end genocide, occupation, and apartheid. She detailed the impact of US sanctions imposed in July, which prevent her from accessing her salary, opening bank accounts, or maintaining professional relationships.

She also explained the sanctions’ effect on her family: her daughter and husband face potential arrest in the US, and they have been denied access to their Washington apartment. “Even my 12-year-old daughter is affected by all this,” she said.

Albanese presented her new book, Quando il mondo dorme. Storie, parole e ferite della Palestina (While the World Sleeps: Stories, Words, and Wounds of Palestine), written to provide emotional sustenance while working on her UN report on the “economy of genocide.” The book highlights Palestinian resilience and cooperation with Israelis opposing the apartheid system.

One chapter focuses on Palestinian childhood, explored in her UN report Unchilding, describing the deprivation of childhood, security, and dreams. “To be a Palestinian child means you do not know whether you will reach school or not,” she said, citing checkpoints, clashes, and settler violence. She noted that over 55 years, Israel has detained around 800,000 Palestinians, affecting nearly 40% of the male population, including minors, often to maintain control rather than address crimes.

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