UN Special Rapporteur attacks Christians for Israel for supporting Jews

Francesca Albanese, UN’s ‘Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967’, attacks Christians who support Jews living in the Old City of Jerusalem or in Judea and Samaria. In April of this year, she sent a ‘confidential’ letter to Christians for Israel (C4I) containing all kinds of extreme and unsubstantiated accusations against our organization. It was accompanied by the threat that she wanted to report these accusations against Christians for Israel to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In this article, we will briefly discuss some of the accusations. Albanese’s letter is part of a smear campaign against Christians for Israel that has been ongoing for some time. In February 2023, Christians for Israel was placed on an Iranian sanctions list. Since October 7, 2023, there has been a significant increase in slander and threats, including biased reporting, legal actions, vandalism, threats, and intimidating demonstrations at events in the Netherlands.

Who is Francesca Albanese and why is she extremely controversial?

Since her appointment in 2022, Albanese has abused her position within the UN to attack the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state. Her inflammatory rhetoric and many vitriolic attacks on the Jewish people and the Jewish state of Israel have led a significant number of UN member states to accuse Albanese of anti-Semitism and ask for her resignation (UN Watch). Francesca Albanese is also a controversial figure in the Netherlands; for instance, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs refused to meet with her.

Albanese’s attack on Christians for Israel

The latest target of Albanese’s ‘crusade’ against the Jewish state of Israel is Christians for Israel. In April 2025, Albanese sent a ‘confidential’ letter accusing Christians for Israel of violating international human rights, humanitarian law and criminal law. She threatens to mention our organization in her next report to the UN Human Rights Council at its 59th session, that will take place in Geneva (Switzerland) from June 16 to July 9, 2025.

According to Albanese:

• Christians for Israel would be violating international law. She writes that ‘there are reasonable grounds to believe C4I has engaged in activities that constitute violations of peremptory norms of international law and other critical legal principles and standards.’
• Christians for Israel may be criminally liable for supporting ‘unlawful occupation’: ‘This situation exposes C4I to potential criminal liability for the material support it provides to maintain Israel’s unlawful occupation, which constitutes the international crime of aggression under the Rome Statute.’
• Christians for Israel is ‘probably’ committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. She claims ‘there are reasonable grounds to believe Christians for Israel is also involved in and/or supporting contribution to gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in the exploitation of the natural resources of the occupied Palestinian territory and the diversion of a large share of them to Israel’s own population, including settlers, in violation of international humanitarian law; War crimes and crimes against humanity, including wilful killing, wilfully causing great suffering.’

It seems Ms. Albanese bases her claims on recent publications by Dutch media as Investico, BNNVARA and Nederlands Dagblad which were further distributed by Al Jazeera. These articles present a biased portrayal of the organization. Since late 2024, these media outlets have investigated Christians for Israel financial support for projects in the West Bank. Christians for Israel claims the investigation methods were suggestive and partial and that Christians for Israel has not been allowed to view any findings, despite repeated requests.

Christians for Israel is transparent about its work, which includes food aid, care for the vulnerable, and emergency housing in both Israel and the regions of Judea and Samaria (West Bank). Only three percent of the project donations go to Jewish communities in these areas. After the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, additional emergency aid was provided to Jewish West Bank villages fearing renewed violence.

Two projects came under scrutiny, raising concerns that that donations might have been used to fund weapons or facilitate land appropriation. Christians for Israel firmly denies any unlawful or covert contributions and categorically rejects any suggestion of support for violence or arms. The journalists involved have, to date, provided no evidence to substantiate these claims.

Christians for Israel maintains that all its operations are lawful and subject to financial audits. In their view, support for projects in the Israeli-controlled West Bank is fully in line with the Oslo Accords. While some governments discourage such engagement, Christians for Israel upholds its mission, invoking the principles of freedom of belief and expression.

Albanese’s accusations are based on an equally flimsy foundation: it appears she has included various forms of disinformation about Christians for Israel in her letter, without any legal basis or supporting evidence. In short: Christians for Israel strongly denies Albanese’s claims. In response to her letter, we have sent a letter in which we dismiss the accusations and ask Ms. Albanese to substantiate her allegations with evidence. To date, we have not received any response.

Anti-Israel campaign

On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Albanese about her ‘alarming campaign of letters targeting institutions that support or invest in the State of Israel’, calling for her resignation. According to this letter, ‘your suggestion that these organizations may be criminally liable for aiding and abetting genocide or war crimes is not only legally groundless. Your actions are defamatory, dangerous, and a flagrant abuse of your office.’ (View the complete letter)

We feel compelled to make public the baseless and slanderous legal accusations by Ms. Albanese, which are clearly intended to tarnish the good name of organizations that support the Jewish people. We can only assume that Ms. Albanese intends to repeat her unfounded claims about Christian for Israel in the report that she will present to the UN Human Rights Council this month.

Christians for Israel provides humanitarian aid to Jews and Arabs in Areas A and C

For more than twenty years, Christians for Israel has supported projects in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank. These projects are located in Area C, which is under Israeli administration under the Oslo Accords (binding agreements concluded between Israel and the PLO in the 1990s).

We support humanitarian projects, including playgrounds, a home for girls in need, hospital equipment, a daycare center for children with intellectual disabilities, and food aid for struggling families. Aid to the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria accounts to three percent of all donations from Christians for Israel for projects in Israel. In addition, we also support Palestinian Christians in Area A (this area is under the control of the Palestinian Authority) with food packages for Palestinian families, and summer camps for Palestinian children. Aid to Palestinians also amounts to three percent of the total donations from Christians for Israel. In addition, we support dozens of humanitarian projects in Israel that help Jews, but also Arabs, Druze, Arameans and other minorities.

We would like to highlight:

• That our aid is purely humanitarian in nature and is being used to address the immediate physical and emotional needs of both the Jewish and Palestinian inhabitants of this area;
• That we do not take a position on the political status of Judea and Samaria;
• That we do not deny the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination; on the contrary. For decades, Christians for Israel has supported numerous projects and initiatives that improve the well-being of Arabs in Israel and promote cooperation between Jews and Arabs both in Israel and in the areas covered by the Oslo Accords;
• That none of the financial contributions of Christians for Israel in areas A or C have been used to promote, support or enable settler violence or theft of Palestinian land.

The legal framing of Ms. Albanese

Ms. Albanese makes far-reaching claims about the nature of our activities and draws unsubstantiated legal conclusions about the consequences. Her refusal to give a serious answer to Christians for Israel’s questions shows that she is unwilling or unable to establish the facts or to review her legal conclusions. This threatens to damage the reputation of Christians for Israel and therefore constitutes a gross violation of our right to a fair assessment and the right of Christians for Israel and its supporters around the world to freedom of religion.

Christians for Israel is aware that the actions of individual ‘settlers’ or ‘settlements’ may violate international law or the laws applicable in Judea and Samaria. For instance, the construction of homes by Jewish communities on land owned by Palestinian individuals is illegal. Similarly, if a Jewish resident of Judea and Samaria uses violence against Palestinians, it violates human rights law, humanitarian law, or local laws. We disapprove of such actions, and we will never support this kind of abuse. Each of Francesca Albanese’s unsubstantiated accusations threatens to damage Christians for Israel’s reputation.

Christians for Israel is committed to carrying out its activities in accordance with international human rights law, humanitarian principles and the applicable National and EU standards. This includes corporate social responsibility, transparency, and diligence. Christians for Israel has strict procedures in place for the selection of humanitarian projects, the monitoring of the partner organizations and ensuring that all donations are spent on the purpose for which they were given.

Christians’ Right to Religious Freedom

The mission of Christians for Israel is to promote Biblical understanding within the church and to provide comfort to Israel through prayer and action. Christians’ right to religious belief, freedom of expression, and advocacy are fundamental freedoms protected by international human rights instruments. The humanitarian work of Christians for Israel is an expression of our Christian faith and fulfills the Biblical call to show compassion and support to our fellow man in need: both Jewish and Palestinian.

Attempts to damage the reputation of Christians for Israel represent an unjustified restriction of the religious freedoms that form the foundation of its activities. These freedoms are explicitly guaranteed in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 46 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Each of these instruments guarantees individuals and organizations the right to express their religious beliefs, including the provision of humanitarian aid based on religious beliefs.

Conclusion

Christians for Israel remains steadfast in our commitment to Israel at all times. We will not be intimidated by baseless, unfounded, and reckless accusations, even when they appear on United Nations letterhead.

We are grateful for the ongoing support of many Christians worldwide who continue to stand with Israel, even in the face of intense opposition. We urge you to keep praying for Israel, and for the peace of Jerusalem.