Wrote: Etrit Rexhepi
A photograph is published depicting an informative article claiming that acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared: "Palestine is Israeli land - Kosovo will never recognize it!"
it CONTENT was posted on Monday (September 22) on TikTok by an account named "karlmartineli".
What is the truth?
Hibrid.info has found that Kurti has never publicly stated anything about this issue.
As of the time of writing, the content has received over 100 views and over 800 comments.
Hibrid.info researched using the "Google" search engine using the title of the article shown in the photograph as a keyword.
The search results did not show any articles that would confirm the claim (see here).
Even after researching Kurti's Facebook account, no post was found that could prove that the alleged statement came from the incumbent prime minister (see here).
The government led by Kurti this year, on January 31, decided to allocate 500 thousand euros in humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza (see here).
Meanwhile, at the Government meeting held on August 1, Kurti stated that the Government of Kosovo has expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has called for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian aid and a lasting solution between Israelis and Palestinians (see here).
Kurti's statement on the situation in Gaza from this meeting:
“Also, in this address, allow me to express the deep concern of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. As we have done in the past, we condemn the attacks that result in death and injury to civilians, especially children – who are facing serious consequences despite the fact that they have no responsibility for the conflict and the situation. Our Government has already allocated half a million euros from its budget in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza. We support every effort of our partners to achieve an immediate ceasefire, which would create opportunities for the regular and sufficient delivery of aid, the release of hostages and the achievement of a long-term and sustainable solution between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Kosovo in relation to Israel and Palestine
In March 2021, Kosovo opened its embassy in Jerusalem, recognizing it as the capital of Israel. A decision that came in the September 4 (2020) Agreement, when Kosovo and Serbia signed two documents at the White House for the normalization of economic relations, in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The document signed by Kosovo provided for mutual recognition with Israel (see here).
Meanwhile, Palestine does not recognize Kosovo's independence. Several Serbian-language media reports have reported that the newly appointed Palestinian ambassador to Serbia, Muhamed Al Namur, during a meeting with the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Vladimir Orlić, stated that Palestine considers Serbia a friendly country and that non-recognition of Kosovo is a position from which it will not deviate (see here).
Analyze:
The claim that acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared: "Palestine is Israeli land - Kosovo will never recognize it!" is not accurate.
Hibrid.info has not found any source or public statement from Albin Kurti that would confirm this claim, and his official positions show humanitarian support for Palestine without making political statements on its sovereignty.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses the content as "Fake News".
Reasoning:
The “Fake News” rating is given to informational content that is entirely fabricated or that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be defined as having been created and distributed with the intent to misinform the public, i.e., to present a claim that is completely false as fact.