It happened almost overnight. In late 2023, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, international law expert, and writer was catapulted onto the world stage when she simultaneously became – in her own words – “a reluctant chronicler of genocide,” an internet idol to her many admirers who study and share her press conferences and viral diplomatic interventions, and a “Hamas apologist” according to right-wing Zionists who stalk her every move. UN Watch, a pro-Israel organization whose seeming mission is to eradicate any shred of criticism of the state worldwide and for all eternity, has a particular obsession with Albanese. Their homepage displays a lurid campaign titled #firefrancesca.
Unlike her public remonstrations, Albanese laughs easily and radiates warmth and good humor. Wherever she goes, she seems to become the hive, the epicenter of attention and action, and even through this limited lens of Zoom, over the days we speak, I watch her husband, children, and children’s friends orbit her, gravitating towards her. When I mention the many enemies her outspoken defense of the Palestinian people has cultivated, Albanese doesn’t seem overly perturbed. “I have this device of hope, as we say in Italian,” she answers. “Yes, there are ideological enemies, but the moment people start engaging with me, I see that it’s hard for them to hate me. I tend to elicit sympathy face-to-face instead of hate. And this is something the haters hate.” ….more
