The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) and the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) express their profound disagreement with the decision of the Basque Government to grant the 2025 René Cassin Human Rights Award to Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories.
The antisemitic remarks and complacency towards terrorism attributed to Ms Albanese have been clearly denounced by France, Germany, the United States, as well as by major international Jewish organisations.
When questioned about what Emmanuel Macron described as “the greatest massacre of Jews of the 21st century”, she responded with a brazenness that betrays her inability to acknowledge the reality of the crimes of 7 October, refusing to recognise their antisemitic nature.
Such an attitude is incompatible with the spirit of the René Cassin Award.
René Cassin, author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and fervent defender of justice, held an unwavering commitment to peace, human dignity, and the right of the Jewish people to live in security.
Awarding this prize to Ms Albanese constitutes a distortion of Cassin’s legacy and a serious misunderstanding of the values of human rights.
