UN Special Rapporteur says October 7 attacks were 'in response to Israel's oppression'

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - GENEVA — Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks that the October 7 Hamas attack was the “largest anti-Semitic massacre of the 21st century.”

“The ‘largest anti-Semitic massacre of our century'? No, Mr. Macron. The victims of October 7 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel's oppression. France and the international community did nothing to prevent it. My respects to the victims,” Albanese said in a social media post.

Albanese was responding to comments made by Macron as he paid tribute to the October 7 victims at a ceremony in Paris on February 7. During the ceremony, Macron said “the unspeakable resurfaced from the depths of history” that day.

Albanese said she condemned the attack and was “disappointed” that some had interpreted her comments as justifying Hamas’ actions.

“Disappointed that some read my tweet as ‘justifying’ the Hamas crimes of October 7, which I have strongly condemned several times. I reject all racism, including anti-Semitism, a global threat. But explaining these crimes as anti-Semitism obscures their true cause,” she said.

In response to Albanese, the French Foreign Ministry reiterated Macron’s comments that the October 7 massacre was the "largest anti-Semitic massacre of the 21st century." — CNN