CNN International Platforms Antisemite to Accuse Jews of Racism

U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is neither subtle nor shy with her extreme anti-Israel bias and antisemitism.

By David M. Litman, JNS

On March 21, CNN International’s Isa Soares brought on a deranged racist, the United Nations’ Francesca Albanese, to accuse Israelis of being deranged racists.

Among her past statements, Albanese has: claimed that the “Jewish lobby” has “subjugated” the United States; denied that it was antisemitic to claim the “Jewish lobby” controls social media; claimed Jews use the antisemitism label to “silence” voices; and repeatedly minimized the Holocaust.

Viewers were left in the dark about Albanese’s widely known and condemned history of antisemitism.

Predictably, Albanese used the opportunity to accuse Israelis of “apartheid” and incitement to genocide, allegations which were left unchallenged by Soares.

In August 2022, as the internationally-designated terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilian centers, Albanese claimed they had a “right to resist,” and then expressed “disappointment” that the terrorist organization did not have more modern military equipment. After a Palestinian terrorist tried to stab an Israeli in June 2022, Albanese tweeted, “Evil is in the eye of the beholder.”

Perhaps the most telling example: after Foundation for Defense of Democracies expert Joe Truzman pointed out the high number of armed Palestinian children in Jenin, Albanese—purportedly a “human rights” expert—responded in a now-deleted tweet: “Yes there is a serious problem and not only in Jenin. It is called colonial occupation.” The use of children for terrorism is evidently of little concern to her.

While Albanese decried recent remarks by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denying the existence of a Palestinian people, not only has she herself expressed support for the idea that Israel’s entire existence is an injustice and all of Israel is “occupied,” but she is evidently unconcerned that the Palestine Liberation Organization denies the existence of Jews as a nation in its founding charter. Indeed, her own repeated description of Israel as a “colonizer” requires a denial of Jewish history and indigeneity.

One could go on detailing Albanese’s disqualifying history and hypocrisy; she is neither subtle nor shy with her extreme anti-Israel bias and antisemitism. This makes it all the more egregious that CNN International’s Isa Soares would platform her without challenge.

This journalistic failure is yet another unfortunate example of CNN’s continuing trend of dishonest and biased coverage of Israel, which is increasingly featuring overt antisemitism.

David M. Litman is a media and education research analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).

This article was originally published by CAMERA.