Close question and answer A clean sweep (La7) tra Francesca Albanesespecial rapporteur of theHim on the occupied Palestinian territories, and the host of the program, Corrado Formiglion the Israeli massacres a Gaza.
The journalist asks the jurist for clarification on what he defines as “scabrous statements”, according to which the attacks of 7 October are not primarily anti-Semitic but are the result of a rebellion against an occupying power.
Albanese responds: “I dispute the use of the word ‘scabrous’, which you evidently used in good faith 3 times when introducing me. I speak according to categories of international law, there is nothing scandalous. What I maintain is that the cause of the October 7 attacks is not anti-Semitism. The UN Secretary General also said this, Guterres – he explains – The attacks of 7 October did not occur in a vacuum, because there is a context of 56-year military occupation of the Gaza Strip, under siege for 17 years, on the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This military occupation basically resulted in a military dictatorship for the Palestinians who live in this territory.”
The UN special rapporteur adds: “What has been scandalous is the hatred between the two sides over all these years. I and those who preceded me in this role have always said that violence begets violence. Before October 7th in Gaza in 16 years there were 5 wars, which they did 5,400 Palestinians died, tearing 1,200 children apart. So, How many October 7ths have there been in Gaza before that date?“.
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Formigli then defines Israel as “the only civilized and democratic country in the Middle East”, but Albanese disagrees: “I believe that for intellectual honesty it is necessary stop reciting that false mantra of ‘Israel the only democracy in the Middle East’for the simple fact that Israel governs the West Bank and East Jerusalem through a military dictatorship based on a martial law of 1967 which does not allow Palestinians to enjoy their civil and political rights. A democracy does not do this.”
“But in Israel we vote and the newspapers are free, come on,” replies Formigli.
“Yes, but not in the West Bank and East Jerusalem – replies Albanese – Palestinian citizens do not have citizenship there”.
“I know this well – comments the journalist – I am against the Israeli occupation and I am not saying that it is a country where everything works well and the rights of everyone everywhere are respected, but I am saying that in Israel there is public opinion, manifests itself against the government, there are newspapers that express themselves with great freedom. And this is a sign of democracy.”
“In Israel there are 2 million Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin who are second-class citizens for their roots – explains Albanese – Perhaps you think that democracy is simply signing an electoral coupon but this betrays our great legal tradition of democracy, so democracy is seen in the treatment of minorities“.