Austrian Minister Deletes Post After Accusing UN Rapporteur of Hate Speech

Austrian Foreign Minister Deletes Post After Falsely Accusing UN Official of Hate Speech

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger has removed a social media post that erroneously accused UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese of describing Israel as an “enemy of humanity,” following revelations that the claim was based on distorted remarks.

The controversy began when Meinl-Reisinger posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Albanese “brands Israel wholesale as an ‘enemy of humanity,'” adding that while “criticism of Israel’s actions is legitimate,” Albanese was “spreading hate speech” that “undermines the impartiality and highest standards required of a UN representative.”

The minister’s accusations came amid similar claims from French officials, who alleged Albanese had made inflammatory statements during a forum organized by Al Jazeera in Qatar on February 7. The incident has since been identified as a case of disinformation that misrepresented Albanese’s actual comments.

Shoura Hashemi, a director at Amnesty International Austria, publicly challenged Meinl-Reisinger after the post’s deletion, asking, “Where is the apology?” and questioning whether the minister would take responsibility for what Hashemi termed a “serious mistake.”

The Austrian minister wasn’t alone in propagating the claim. The Czech Foreign Ministry issued a statement declaring that “patience has its limits” and calling for Albanese’s resignation, citing “unacceptable and indefensible” statements that Albanese allegedly made.

The controversy appears to have originated in the French National Assembly when lawmaker Caroline Yadan asked Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot if France would seek Albanese’s removal from her UN post based on the alleged remarks. Barrot responded by condemning what he called “outrageous and reprehensible remarks” targeting “not the Israeli government… but Israel as a people and as a nation.”

This exchange sparked diplomatic reactions from several European countries, including Germany, Italy, and Austria, all criticizing Albanese based on the misattributed statement.

In response to the growing controversy, more than 100 European lawmakers have signed a joint statement defending Albanese. French Member of the European Parliament Manon Aubry announced the initiative on social media, writing that the signatories “stand in support of Francesca Albanese, who is the target of a smear campaign by the French government over statements she never made.”

The statement, endorsed by parliamentarians from France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Sweden, and Spain, condemned the French government’s call for Albanese’s resignation and characterized it as being “based on distorted remarks and manipulated content.”

French National Assembly deputy head Mathilde Panot, one of the statement’s signatories, publicly challenged Foreign Minister Barrot over the claims. She accused him of making a “serious false statement” in parliament about remarks that Albanese never made, asking, “Your silence is deafening… When do you intend to offer your apologies?”

In France, the incident has escalated to legal action, with two separate criminal complaints filed against senior politicians for allegedly spreading disinformation by distorting Albanese’s statements.

The incident highlights the potential for misinformation to rapidly spread across diplomatic channels and underscores the challenges facing international officials working on contentious geopolitical issues. As Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Albanese operates in a highly scrutinized role during a period of intensified conflict and international debate over the situation in Gaza.

The misattribution and subsequent diplomatic fallout also demonstrate how quickly unverified claims can escalate into international incidents, particularly on issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where sensitivities remain high across the international community.