Georgetown University removed U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese from its list of affiliated scholars after U.N. Watch publicized the change on Dec. 21. The U.S. announced sanctions against Albanese in July, and a State Department statement accused her of antisemitism and support for terrorism. France and Germany also publicly rebuked Albanese for comments about the Oct. 7 attacks. Critics say universities should not legitimize rhetoric that appears to excuse violence.
Georgetown Removes Affiliation With U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese After U.S. Sanctions and International Rebukes
Major university cuts ties with US-sanctioned UN expert on Palestinian issues, watchdog says
Georgetown University has removed U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese from its list of affiliated scholars after a watchdog group publicized the change on Dec. 21.
U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese speaks during a press conference in Bogota, Colombia, July 15, 2025.
U.N. Watch CEO Hillel Neuer posted screenshots showing Albanese’s profile as it previously appeared on Georgetown’s website and then an image of the page returning an error after the profile was removed. In a post on X, Neuer called Albanese a "U.N. Hamas apologist" and thanked the university for taking the action.
Francesca Albanese in Rome, Nov. 29, 2025.
According to the screenshots Neuer shared, Georgetown had described Albanese as "an international lawyer and researcher and the author of various publications and opinions on the question of Palestinian refugees." The university has not publicly detailed the reason for removing the profile beyond the change reflected on its website.
Francesca Albanese speaks at a press conference at the U.N. City in Copenhagen, Denmark, Feb. 5, 2025.
Sanctions and International Criticism
In July, the U.S. government announced sanctions against Albanese. A State Department statement accused her of having "spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West," and said she had engaged with the International Criminal Court in ways that targeted nationals of the United States or Israel.
Earlier, in February 2024, both France and Germany publicly rebuked Albanese after she questioned French President Emmanuel Macron’s description of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks as "the largest antisemitic massacre of our century." Albanese was quoted saying, "The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism but in response to Israel’s oppression." French officials said the comments appeared to justify the attacks, and Germany called the remarks a disgrace for someone serving in a U.N. capacity.
Responses And Context
Critics welcomed Georgetown’s decision. Heather Johnston, founder of the U.S. Israel Education Association, told Fox News Digital that academic institutions should not lend credibility to individuals widely condemned for antisemitism or rhetoric that appears to excuse violence, and that universities must uphold intellectual honesty and historical truth.
“Thank you, [Georgetown]. It’s time to expel all terror supporters from our universities,” Hillel Neuer wrote on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Francesca Albanese, U.N. Watch and Georgetown University for comment. At the time of publication, no response from Albanese or Georgetown had been included.
