The Board of Deputies has called on the UK Government to request the dismissal of the UN’s independent expert for Palestinian human rights after she expressed support for disgraced academic David Miller.

In a now-deleted post on X, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese voiced her endorsement of Miller, the former University of Bristol professor, in his ongoing legal battle with the institution.

In February 2024, a tribunal ruled that Miller had been unfairly discriminated against when he was dismissed from the university over allegations that he made antisemitic remarks.

The former professor has previously accused the Union of Jewish Students of creating a “charade of false antisemitism allegations” and has called for the “end of Zionism”.

Now, the university is believed to appealing the tribunal’s decision, which found that his anti-Israel beliefs were “worthy of respect in a democratic society”.

Ex-Bristol University professor David Miller (Photo: Screenshot via Left Legal Fighting Fund)

Last week, Miller took to the social media site to ask for donations to fund his fight against the appeal, claiming he needed to raise £75,000.

In her own tweet, Albanese strongly voiced her support for Miller in the legal dispute.

“NEVER AGAIN,” she wrote, citing the Holocaust as justification for her endorsement of the former academic.

“We, the generation who grew up with a sense of deceit, guilt and responsibility for the ignorant and coward ancestors of ours who made the Holocaust happen, WE have a role to play TODAY. In every corner.

“I stand with Justice, against racism, against Apartheid, and WITH Professor Miller.”

The UN official also urged her followers to “#StandWithMiller”. 

Miller has previously claimed that “Jews are not discriminated against” and are “over-represented in Europe, North America and Latin America in positions of cultural, economic and political power”.

He was employed as a professor of political sociology at the University of Bristol before he was dismissed in October 2021 after a hearing found he "did not meet the standards of behaviour" expected of university staff.

In an employment tribunal in February, judges found that Miller’s views on Israel should be protected under anti-discrimination laws.

The university said it was “disappointed” with the judgement and was granted permission to appeal the decision in June 2024.

Miller told his 85,000 followers on X that he is fundraising to raise £75,000 to cover legal fees in his ongoing employment dispute with the university.

Albanese has a record of expressing anti-Israel bias according to UN Watch, a non-governmental watchdog which monitors the organisation’s performance “by the yardstick of its own Charter”.

She has previously drawn comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany, asked for the violence of the October 7 to be “put in context”, and accused American opinion of being “subjugated by the Jewish lobby”.

Albanese has since apologised for using the latter “offensive” phrase.

In a post on X, the Board of Deputies called on the UK Government to request her dismissal from the UN, accusing her of being a “disgrace to the entire organisation”.

The Board of Deputies said: “The UN’s ‘Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories’, Francesca Albanese has a history of highly inflammatory statements about Israel and Jews.

“Now, she has publicly supported notorious conspiracy theorist and employee of the Iranian regime’s Press TV, David Miller.”

The Board claimed that for far too long, the UN has turned a blind eye to her conduct, and its reputation is being “dragged through the mud” as a result.

“We call on our Government to openly request Ms Albanese’s dismissal; her ongoing association with the UN is a disgrace to the entire organisation,” the Board added.

Jonathan Harounoff, Israel's international spokesperson at the UN, told the JC: “The UN Special Rapporteur has a disturbing and well-documented history of appalling statements that have no basis in reality, minimise the atrocities of October 7 and have contributed to the normalisation of antisemitism on the global stage and across college campuses."

UN Watch has backed the Board of Deptuies’ calls for Albanese to be removed from her post due to her stance on Israel.

The watchdog says Albanese fails to uphold the UN’s Code of Conduct, which calls for “impartiality” and “even-handedness” in the role. 

Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, said: “UN Watch is calling on the UK to take action immediately and terminate the mandate of Francesca Albanese.

“This can be done by adopting a resolution, the text of which we have already drafted, at the Human Rights Council in Geneva."

A spokesperson from the University of Bristol told the JC: “We carefully considered the Employment Tribunal’s judgment which was published in February 2024 and sought permission to appeal the decision.

"Permission was granted in June 2024.

"It would not be appropriate to comment any further whilst the legal process takes its due course.”

The JC has contacted Albanese, Miller and the Foreign Office for comment.