(MENAFN) The UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, met with French lawmakers on Monday to discuss the escalating situation in Palestine and the broader implications for Europe.

During the session, Albanese delivered extensive remarks on international law, Europe’s political climate, and the personal consequences she has endured since publishing her reports on Palestine.

Members of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI) party engaged with Albanese, focusing on Europe’s political stance and ongoing tensions surrounding France’s position on the Gaza war.

Before discussions commenced, LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon greeted Albanese warmly, expressing admiration for her work on Palestinian rights. MPs Mathilde Panot, Gabrielle Cathala, and Thomas Portes were also present.

Law and Justice First
Albanese began by reflecting on the evolution of her legal perspective.

“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 described her work as a “bridge-building role,” noting that it has made her a target.

“It is interesting how this role changed my life, because today I am attacked as an activist,” she said.

Her advocacy, she emphasized, comes from a conviction that “what is being done to Palestinians is the exact opposite of justice.”

She stressed that neutrality is crucial in her work—not as indifference but as a framework for evaluating evidence without bias.

“Neutrality is what allows us to look at facts without being influenced by our own ideas,” she said.

European Position
Albanese criticized parts of Europe’s political and media landscape, asserting they have been heavily shaped by “strategic lines dictated by the state of Israel.”

“It is not normal,” she said, “for members of the Italian parliament to travel to Israel with expenses paid by organizations linked to the Israeli military industry.”

She further argued that certain narratives in politics and the press reflect “a colonial mindset that was never fully confronted.”

Quoting Israeli historian Raz Segal, she added: “The idea of ethnic purity was not born with Hitler, nor did it die with him.”

Albanese suggested that the Palestinian experience forces Europe to confront its own historical record. She noted that the Holocaust “was not an isolated anomaly but the moment when tools of domination used against indigenous peoples were brought to Europe.”

“Palestine gives us the chance to understand that link,” she added.

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