Over 100 artists for Palestine back UN’s Albanese after resignation calls

France and Germany call for UN special rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, to step down over her critical comments.Published On 14 Feb 2026More than 100 prominent artists – including musicians, actors and writers – have signed an open letter in support of the United Nations special rapporteur for occupied Palestinian territory who faces international calls to step down.In a letter from the group Artists for Palestine on Saturday, the signatories offered “full support to Francesca Albanese, a defender of human rights and, therefore, also of the Palestinian people’s right to exist”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4UN’s Albanese: Israel treats storm-hit Palestinians of Gaza as ‘expendable’list 2 of 4AU calls for end to ‘extermination’ of Palestinians, decries African warslist 3 of 4ICU patients’ lives at risk in Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital amid Israel’s warlist 4 of 4Iran, US spar as diaspora organises rallies abroad calling for actionend of list“There are infinitely more of us in every corner of the Earth who want force no longer to be the law. Who know what the word ‘law’ truly means,” the letter said.Among the supporters were actors Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux and British musician Annie Lennox.At last week’s Al Jazeera Forum, Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said “we as humanity have a common enemy”, but a fake video that was later debunked had her accusing Israel of being the “common enemy”.She later explained in a social media post she was referencing “the system that has enabled the genocide in Palestine” as the “common enemy”.‘Crush any criticism of Israel’Still, European countries, including France and Germany, continue to call for her removal.On Tuesday, a group of French lawmakers sent a letter to Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemning Albanese’s remarks as “anti-Semitic”. A day later, Barrot called on her to step down, saying France “unreservedly condemns the outrageous and reprehensible remarks”.