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“WHEN THE BANALITY OF EVIL BECOMES NORMALIZED, IT GROWS
UNCHECKED.”  
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Rafael Sergi in conversation with Francesca Albanese
March 15, 2025
Left Berlin
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_ We are at the potential tipping point of a necessary revolution.
Right now, capitalism has armed itself — with technology,
communication channels, cloud control, artificial intelligence, and
weapons. Either we resist now, or it will be too late. _

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories,

 

February tends to be a pretty harsh time of year in Berlin. Freezing
temperatures, short days, and perpetually gray skies weigh heavy upon
the city’s inhabitants, amplifying an already fraught atmosphere in
Germany. Amidst a persistently bleak economic outlook, the country is
undergoing a sharp rightward shift, with traditional parties
increasingly mirroring the rhetoric of the far-right AfD, to the point
where the distinctions between them are becoming negligible.

This shift has been accompanied by the criminalization and escalating
repression of any movement, initiative, or individual criticizing the
Israeli government’s actions, or expressing solidarity with the
Palestinian people — the victims of what numerous experts describe
as an ongoing genocide. The crackdown has only deepened existing
tensions: anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment is rampant, while
reports of police violence, arbitrary arrests of pro-Palestine
demonstrators, dismissals of individuals for publicly supporting
Palestine, and defamatory accusations of antisemitism are countless.

Yet, never before has such repression targeted a high-ranking UN
official — not until a series of events that featured Francesca
Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, became the subject of a coordinated campaign
to force their cancellation.

The first event — titled _Colonialism, Human Rights, and
International Law_ — was scheduled to be held on February 16, at
the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. Just days before,
the event was abruptly cancelled by the university, who cited the
event’s “political orientation” and vaguely defined “security
concerns”. The nature of these supposed risks remains unclear.

On February 19, Albanese was set to speak alongside the director of
Forensic Architecture — Israeli-British scholar Eyal Weizman — at
another event, titled _Calculated Living Conditions to Destroy —
Legal and Forensic Perspectives on the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza_. This
time, the suppression was even more blatant. The standard
justifications (such as “polarization” or “security risks”)
collapsed, when it emerged that Günter Ziegler (the President of the
Freie Universität Berlin) had been directly pressured by Ron Prosor
(the Israeli Ambassador to Germany), Kai Wegner (the Mayor of Berlin,
CDU), and the group “WerteInitiative. jüdisch-deutsche
Positionen” (which claims to work for “a future for Jews in
Germany”). The ambassador reportedly wrote directly to Ziegler
demanding the event’s cancellation, while Wegner called for its
shutdown in _Bild_ — Germany’s most-read newspaper, inexplicably
still treated as credible despite its far-right leanings.
WerteInitiative, for their part, accused Albanese of “spreading
antisemitic worldviews” in a letter to the university. The
coordinated effort achieved its goal: the event was canceled.

A third event, organized by the DiEM25 political alliance in
collaboration with Jüdische Stimme, Eye4Palestine, and Gaza Komitee
Berlin, was scheduled for February 18, at KühlhausBerlin, with the
title _Reclaiming the Discourse: A Powerful Stand for Palestine,
Justice, and Truth_. Despite the prior cancellations, the organizers
remained confident that the event would proceed as planned. But on the
morning of February 18, it became evident this was no longer the case.
Under “immense pressure from German politicians and the Berlin
police”, the venue withdrew support. Overnight, the main entrance to
Kühlhaus was also vandalized with spray-painted messages: _Albanese,
you are an antisemite_, and _UNRWA supports terror._

At the eleventh hour, the Berlin-based Marxist newspaper _junge
Welt_ stepped in, offering its premises as an alternative venue,
though with a drastically reduced capacity. That morning, ticket
holders received an email warning that the police had requested access
to the gathering — a chilling prospect, given last year’s
Palestine Congress in Berlin, which was forcibly shut down by police,
leading to multiple arrests. This time, authorities allowed the event
to proceed, only under the condition that five police officers be
present throughout, ostensibly to “protect freedom of speech” and
to ensure that speakers and attendees did not violate the law. The
lecture proceeded peacefully without excessive interference.

Amidst this unprecedented crackdown, we spoke with Francesca Albanese
about her experience in Germany, the state of fundamental rights in
the country, and the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.

LET’S START WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE IN GERMANY, AND THE POLITICAL AND
POLICE PRESSURE THAT YOU FACED. DID YOU ANTICIPATE THIS LEVEL OF
REPRESSION? HAVE YOU EVER ENCOUNTERED ANYTHING SIMILAR?

Political pressure is always present, but usually it’s not directed
at me personally. Pro-Israel lobby groups are deeply entrenched in the
West, operating in similar ways everywhere: they aim to silence or
ignore voices like mine. In Italy, for example, I’m simply
disregarded. However, civil society ensures that events proceed
despite the pressure. In most countries, universities wouldn’t
consider canceling an event.

In my three years of speaking about Palestine in around twenty
countries, I’ve never encountered anything like in Germany. The real
pressure isn’t just on me — it’s on Germans themselves. This is
outright censorship and self-censorship. I was shocked by the level of
repression at the event I was part of. It wasn’t physical violence
against me, and I’m immune to slander, misogyny, and personal
attacks. What struck me was the silencing effect on Germans.

For the first time in three years, I felt fear. And I’ve lived with
security protection, received death threats, yet I’ve never felt
this way. In Germany I sensed something profoundly disturbing — an
atmosphere reminiscent of historical accounts of fascism, where people
fear speaking out. That’s why I used the expression “lack of
oxygen”.

HAVE YOU NOTICED THE SITUATION IN GERMANY WORSENING, SINCE WE LAST MET
IN MAY?

Yes. Last year I gave multiple interviews, met Foreign Ministry
officials, think tanks, and dozens of NGOs. Some criticized me, but
many expressed gratitude. This year? Silence. I met only three NGOs.
Many wanted to speak behind closed doors, fearful of repression.

I wonder: what changed? Last year I was one of the few calling out the
Gaza genocide so forcefully. Now, major organizations — including
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Forensic Architecture, and
individuals of the caliber of Amos Goldberg — have confirmed what
I’ve said. Yet I’m somehow perceived as more controversial than
ever. But the difference is not in me, it’s in German society
itself, after months of crackdowns: police brutality, arrests, home
raids, and a climate of fear that spreads rapidly.

As Michael Barenboim and other participants in the event noted,
Germany strongly identifies with Israel, which is understandable given
its history. But when that identification blinds one to crimes being
committed in the name of an ideology, it means repeating the mistakes
of the past rather than learning from them. That, I believe, is the
real issue.

AS AN EXPERT IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW, HOW DO YOU ASSESS
THE CURRENT VIOLATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS IN GERMANY, SUCH AS THE
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSEMBLY?

The issue goes beyond Palestine, which is just the trigger. Germany
has aligned itself so blindly to the idea of protecting Israel at all
costs, as a pillar of its state identity, that it struggles to see
reality for what it is, and fundamental freedoms are being sacrificed.
So how do we reclaim these rights? Not by bowing our heads to fit into
a repressive system. If hundreds of thousands have taken to the
streets against the far-right, then three times as many should be
protesting for their own fundamental rights. Academics should refuse
to teach until the freedom of expression and academic freedom are
restored. Media outlets that engage in defamation and intimidation
should be taken to court. Civil society and NGOs should form a
protective barrier against systemic abuses.

But now, in Germany, I don’t see this happening. Where is German
civil society? Where are the organizations dedicated to fighting
racism? Because that’s what this is — Islamophobia and anti-Arab
sentiment are forms of racism. Recognizing this reality, in Germany
and beyond, is the only way to reclaim and defend these rights.
Awareness must be widespread, and action must follow.

DO YOU THINK AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY COULD BE TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION,
NAMELY TURNING TO COURTS, THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS OR OTHER
ORGANS?

Of course. You can appeal to a judge when your fundamental freedoms
have been violated. I’ve raised this issue with several groups in
Germany, and they say that in many cases, courts have ruled in favor
of repression — I can’t comment on that because I don’t know
the German legal system well enough.

What I do know is that I was shocked when — I believe it was from
the District Court of Frankfurt — I was labeled an antisemite. That
is pure and simple defamation. And yet, no one protested. A UN Special
Rapporteur is insulted and slandered by a court, and there are no
consequences? I can’t fight battles in every country. It should be
up to civil society.

When the banality of evil becomes normalized, it grows unchecked. It
can be contained at the national level through civil society and the
judiciary. And if that fails, then yes, one must turn to international
courts like the European Court of Human Rights. But these are long
processes. In the meantime, the erosion of rights continues. That’s
why I believe so strongly in mass mobilization.

IN GERMANY, PERHAPS MORE THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES, ONE OF THE TOOLS FOR
RESTRICTING PERSONAL FREEDOMS IS THE ACCUSATION OF ANTISEMITISM. WHILE
ANTISEMITISM — LIKE ALL FORMS OF RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION — MUST
BE CONDEMNED AND REJECTED IN THE STRONGEST TERMS, THIS HAS BECOME A
DEFAMATORY AND INSTRUMENTAL MECHANISM TO SILENCE DISSENT AGAINST THE
ISRAELI AND GERMAN GOVERNMENTS. THOSE WHO ARE TARGETED BY THESE SMEARS
APPEAR POWERLESS AND UNABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. WHY DO YOU THINK
THIS HAPPENS?

I think it stems from confusion and guilt. When even those whose
profession is critical thinking (such as academics) fail to exercise
it, it means there is a trauma. That trauma is likely linked to
Holocaust guilt. And I understand it — I feel it too as an
Italian.

But it is precisely the guilt over the Holocaust that pushes me to do
what I do, alongside fellow human rights activists, intellectuals and
academics, many of whom are Jewish. Enough with this performative
guilt that Germans display: “we did this, and therefore we
cannot…” No — on the contrary, _because_ of this history,
you _can_ and _must_ act. And yet, what does Germany do? It
doubles down on its support for the Israeli government, even as it
commits the most heinous crimes.

AFTER THE LAST GERMAN ELECTIONS, FRIEDRICH MERZ, THE FRONTRUNNER TO
BECOME THE NEXT GERMAN CHANCELLOR, CALLED THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. HE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD SEEK TO
CIRCUMVENT THE ICC’S ARREST WARRANT. BEFORE MERZ, DONALD TUSK
— THE POLISH PRIME MINISTER — DECLARED THAT NETANYAHU WOULD BE
WELCOME IN POLAND FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF
AUSCHWITZ’S LIBERATION. AT A TIME WHEN THE VERY EXISTENCE OF
INTERNATIONAL LAW SEEMS PRECARIOUS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE STANCES
SIGNIFY?

There is a deeply concerning political dimension here — a blatant
disdain for the international legal order. This is dangerous because
it reinforces the perception of double standards, of a selective
application of international law; of treating it as just another tool
for international politics, rather than as the framework, the
regulator — almost the _thermostat_ — of international
relations.

The political attitude of indifference and contempt toward
international law is troubling in itself. This contributes to the
erosion of the international criminal justice system, a system that
took decades to build. Since the Nuremberg trials, efforts had been
made to establish a permanent international court for crimes against
humanity. Over the years, we saw international tribunals for (former)
Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and hybrid courts, before the International
Criminal Court was finally established. It was an incredible step
forward. And now, we are witnessing a rollback, a dismantling of this
progress.

The alarming speed at which this is happening is compounded by a third
factor: a culture of impunity. There is no longer any fear
— neither at the international level, nor regionally, nor in
bilateral relations between states. A few dominant powers dictate the
global order, overriding the reality of a multipolar world. Instead of
harmonizing international relations and using law as a guiding
compass, we are moving toward a world shaped by American imperialism
— an imperialism that no longer hides its willingness to use
military force whenever it sees fit. This is an extremely dangerous
scenario — one of lawlessness. And we should all be deeply
concerned.

YOUR LATEST REPORT, _GENOCIDE AS COLONIAL ERASURE_, HAS PROVEN TO BE
EERILY PROPHETIC. THE VIOLENCE IN GAZA HAS NEVER TRULY CEASED, AND IT
HAS EXPANDED INTO THE WEST BANK. A FEW DAYS AGO, THE IDF ENTERED THE
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP WITH TANKS, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWENTY YEARS.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION?

The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is deeply
alarming. The so-called ceasefire created the illusion that the
emergency had passed. But humanitarian aid is not reaching people.
Tents are not being delivered. Israel continues to fire at civilians
in Gaza — over 100 people have been killed since the supposed
ceasefire began. Meanwhile, Israel has made it clear that it will not
withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, signalling its intention to
fully entrap Gaza.

Israel must come to terms with the fact that it cannot continue to
suppress the Palestinians — it must allow them to live, to be free.
This is the lesson it should have learnt over the past 15-16 months,
yet it refuses to acknowledge it.

At the same time, the situation in the West Bank is not fundamentally
different from what is happening to the Palestinian people as a whole.
In Gaza, the attack has been genocidal in its intensity, but the same
logic of destruction is being applied in the West Bank — though in
a way that garners less attention, with fewer visible explosions.
Palestinian communities are being forcibly displaced, their homes
demolished, their hospitals destroyed, their farmlands burned.

What worries me most is whether the world will recognize this genocide
for what it is — the ability to see Israel’s violence as a
systematic attack on the Palestinian people as a whole, across the
entire occupied territory. Because that is exactly what it is.

IN LIGHT OF THE ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND THE SITUATION YOU’VE
DESCRIBED, EUROPE CONTINUES TO APPEAR DIVIDED AND INADEQUATE IN ITS
RESPONSE TO THE ONGOING EMERGENCY IN PALESTINE. HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY
EVOLUTION IN EUROPE’S POSITION (OR THAT OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY) THAT SEEMS ABSENT TO US?

I don’t think it’s absent. I’d say there are three groups: those
who act and take measures, like the members of the Hague Group or
South Africa, and the other states that have filed a case at the
International Court of Justice. They have taken action, especially the
Hague Group. There are also some South American states that have
suspended trade or military agreements with Israel — these are
important steps. There are national-level divestment initiatives from
companies operating in occupied territories. These actions matter, but
they are still too isolated and not widespread enough.

Then, there is a minority of states — but they are very aggressive
— led by the United States and Israel, followed by others.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell where Israeli policy ends and U.S.
policy begins. This core group is acting in flagrant violation of
international law, and they don’t seem to care.

And then there’s the vast majority of states that vote against the
occupation but still continue doing business with Israel, failing to
take a firm stance. There are many such states.

I believe the situation won’t shift positively — meaning for the
freedom and rights of all people — unless there is a massive
mobilization. This is a systemic struggle, but unfortunately, people
don’t see it. I keep saying it: we are at the potential tipping
point of a necessary revolution. Right now, capitalism has armed
itself — with technology, communication channels, cloud control,
artificial intelligence, and weapons. Either we resist now, or it will
be too late. Resisting in defense of rights is a necessary action at
this moment.

THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS EFFECTIVELY DISMANTLING UNRWA, AN AGENCY
THAT EMANATES DIRECTLY FROM THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL. ARE THERE ANY
SANCTIONING MECHANISMS OR CONSEQUENCES FOR A UN MEMBER STATE’S
ACTIONS AGAINST THE UN ITSELF?

No. Israel has been waging a legal and reputational war against the
agency for 20 years. This campaign has intensified in recent years,
with constant attacks accusing the agency of recruiting terrorists.
Investigations have found no evidence to support claims that UNRWA
staff were complicit in acts of violence against Israelis. Yet, even
without proof, UNRWA dismissed those employees, going against its own
rules.

Frankly, UNRWA has also contributed to its own downfall. As I’ve
often said, UNRWA is its own worst defender. Israel has exerted
pressure through all its supportive forces, including pro-Israel lobby
groups operating in various Western countries. These groups have
pushed for funding cuts to UNRWA, but the fiercest battle has been
fought through Israeli legislation. This has been the most aggressive
attack. In response, I don’t think there has been nearly enough
effort to defend UNRWA. The agency should have received stronger
support both internally and externally. The office in Jerusalem should
never have been abandoned. UNRWA leadership ordered the evacuation,
but I would have rather reinforced the presence of international
staff. Instead, there seems to have been a retreat — perhaps out of
exhaustion. But that’s not fair, because Palestinians are exhausted
too.

IN RECENT DAYS, THE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION DAWN HAS ASKED THE ICC TO
INVESTIGATE THE FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, THE FORMER SECRETARY
OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN, AND THE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD
AUSTIN FOR “AIDING, ABETTING, AND INTENTIONALLY CONTRIBUTING TO WAR
CRIMES IN GAZA”. HOW SIGNIFICANT DO YOU THINK THIS DEVELOPMENT IS?
DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S REALISTIC TO EXPECT AN ACTUAL INVESTIGATION?

I hope there will be one. The problem is that the Court is under
enormous pressure — it has even been sanctioned by the United
States. So I hope that this investigation is supported and receives
all the necessary materials, but it won’t be easy to proceed.

I certainly think there are grounds to investigate U.S. political
leaders, particularly the Biden administration, which has provided
military, political, economic, and financial support to this genocide.
They knew exactly what Israel was doing, and they supported it anyway.

So justice would absolutely be desirable. But the problem is, we
don’t live in a just world. We don’t live in an equitable world. A
just and equitable world must be built, and it takes the strength and
awareness of everyone to do it.

_Rafael Sergi was born in Brazil, grew up in Italy and currently lives
in Berlin. He holds a degree in Communication and Psychology from the
University of Milan-Bicocca. He works as a freelance publicist for art
and culture, communication consultant and writes about topics he is
passionate about ranging from culture, environment and politics. He's
an human and animal rights activist._

_The Left Berlin is a community of international progressives in
Berlin. We run an online journalism project hosting a range of
left-wing perspectives in English, as well as collaborating on
progressive campaigns and events in the city. The site is run by a
team of volunteer editors, writers and translators. This project
emerged from the Berlin LINKE Internationals and maintains close links
but the site has editorial autonomy and attempts to reflect a range of
debate on the left._

* Palestinian solidarity
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* Germany
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* UNRWA
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* International Criminal Court
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* Gaza
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* Genocide
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