President Trump’s administration is sanctioning the United Nations (U.N.) Particular Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese on Wednesday over her political “warfare” towards Israel.
“Immediately I’m imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Particular Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to immediate @IntlCrimCourt motion towards U.S. and Israeli officers, firms, and executives,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Wednesday assertion on X.
“Albanese’s marketing campaign of political and financial warfare towards the US and Israel will now not be tolerated. We’ll all the time stand by our companions of their proper to self-defense,” Rubio, who additionally serves because the nationwide safety adviser, added within the submit.
The Trump administration has requested the UN to fireside Albanese, a vocal critic of Israel’s struggle within the Gaza Strip who has typically accused the Jewish state of committing genocide within the war-torn enclave. Israel has rejected the allegations.
“In latest weeks, Ms. Albanese has escalated her years-long sample of virulent antisemitism and unrelenting anti-Israel bias by dispatching threatening correspondence to dozens of entities worldwide, together with main American companies,” the US Mission to the U.N. said earlier this month.
The previous Israeli Protection Minister Benny Gantz welcomed the “ethical readability” by Rubio and Trump in holding accountable the “serial antisemite” Albanese.
“We’re deeply grateful for such robust management placing an finish to the times of hypocritical anti-Israel impunity on the UN,” Gantz said Wednesday on X.
Albanese not too long ago printed an in depth report that investigated the “company equipment sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial venture of displacement and substitute of the Palestinians within the occupied territory.” She outlined greater than 60 companies she argued are concerned in backing Israel’s struggle with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Israel’s diplomatic mission has called the report “legally groundless, defamatory and a flagrant abuse of her workplace.”
It’s unclear how wide-ranging the sanctions towards Albanese can be, however she is going to probably be barred from touring to the U.S.
Albanese, an Italian authorized scholar, was reappointed to a different three-year time period earlier this yr, regardless of opposition from the U.S.
In early February, Trump sanctioned the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) over its push for struggle crimes circumstances towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC issued arrest warrants in November final yr for Netanyahu and Gallant on allegations of using hunger as a weapon within the Gaza struggle. Israel’s authorities has condemned the ICC’s push.
Rubio mentioned on Wednesday that the U.S. “will proceed to take no matter actions we deem crucial to reply to lawfare and shield our sovereignty and that of our allies.”
The Hill has reached out to Albanese for remark.