Gaza
Albanese has urged institutions and individuals to rise up and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine through sanctions, disinvestment and litigation.
The UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese who is in the country to deliver the 23rd Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture on Saturday has demanded full corporate accountability over the genocide against the people and the economy of Palestine.
On Thursday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted the Italian born human rights activist for the Pre-Annual Lecture Dialogue, focusing on Albanese’ latest report titled “The Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide”.
Albanese, who has been barred from entering the US presented her report while in South Africa, having accused the private sector of perpetuating the exploitation of the people of Palestine and their resources.
In July this year, Albanese's criticism of the Israeli government and the West's handling of the Gaza situation landed her in trouble with the White House when the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced sanctions against her.
However, Albanese says her troubles pale in comparison to the ethnic cleansing and the genocide against the people of Palestine, who have suffered the worst human and economic rights violations for centuries now.
During her address, Albanese accused the private sector of fueling conflict by prioritising profits over the lives of Palestinians trapped in a cycle of economic oppression and total genocide.
“It is unimaginable what the people of Palestine have endured in the past 76 years. The public need to understand that this is not a conflict, but an oppression and an unlawful occupation which employs apartheid to pursue ethnic cleansing for the little that remains of Palestine,” she said.
Her report has fingered global enterprises, businesses and institutions who are complicit in the suffering and economic oppression of Palestinians.
“The Israeli economy is very schizophrenic. The reports have pointed to private entities and businesses connected to the exploitation of the Palestinian resources. There are more than 1000 entities, including arms manufacturers, surveillance service producers, universities, pension and investment fund companies who are involved in the exploitation of the economic situation of Palestine. I say, the private sector perpetuates the economy of occupation against the people of Palestine,” she said.
Albanese has urged institutions and individuals to rise up and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine through sanctions, disinvestment and litigation.
