Demonstrators rallied in Tirana on Friday to protest Prime Minister Edi Rama’s recent visit to Israel and his pro-Israeli remarks, saying the trip disregarded public support for Palestinians and did not reflect the will of the Albanian people.
The protest, organized by civil society groups under the slogan, "Not in My Name,” took place in front of the parliament building. Participants voiced opposition to Rama’s visit to Israel from Jan. 25 to 27.
Protesters carried banners that read: "Not in My Name”, "You Don’t Shake Hands With Oppression and Barbarism” and "Stop the Bombing of Gaza.”
One of the organizers, Floriar Arapi, said Albanians stand for peace and justice, not genocide or war crimes.
"Prime Minister Rama’s visit to Israel is a great stain of shame for our people,” said Arapi. "Rama has positioned Albania on the dark side of injustice, crimes, and the killing of children and women, as never before in its history. At a time when nearly all countries around the world have distanced themselves from (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and declared they would arrest him if he entered their territory, Rama says he is proud of meeting him.”
Protester Sidorela Vatnikaj told Anadolu Agency (AA) that demonstrators gathered to make it clear that Rama’s visit does not represent them.
"Shaking hands with a war criminal as Netanyahu is not in our name. We want to say that as Albanians, that we had been under a genocide in the 90s in Kosovo. We know what it means to be a victim of genocide and we want to protest against the genocide that is happening now in Gaza.”
Vatnikaj said protesters were angry and concerned about Israeli-based companies being invited to invest in Albania, calling it "colonialism, not partnership,” given the current circumstances.
Another protester, Orgest Rrushi, criticized Rama’s visit to Israel’s parliament and his remarks, saying Albanians do not share the positions expressed by the prime minister.
"We do not want the war to go on. We do not want children to be killed anymore,” said Rrushi. "That’s why this protest or this gathering here today is called ‘Not in Our Name,’ which means you can speak but you can speak for yourself.”
A march planned from parliament was blocked by police.
During his visit, Rama addressed a special session of Israel’s parliament on Monday, describing the Knesset as "a very special place” and saying it was a "great honor” to speak there.
He used praise-filled language toward Netanyahu, who later lauded Rama as "a great friend of the Jewish people and of Israel” for his support.
Rama’s speech was boycotted by Arab lawmakers, while many Israeli lawmakers were also absent from the session.
The Albanian prime minister did not criticize Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip that has been going on since October 2023. Instead, he blamed the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, for Gaza becoming an "open-air free prison.”
