Washington accuses the Italian lawyer of anti -Semitism and support for terrorism, after an overwhelming report targeting Israel and her international support.
The climate is tending even more between the United Nations and the United States around the Palestinian issue. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday, July 9, that the United States is preparing to impose sanctions against Francesca Albanese, UN special reporter on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a publication on his account X, the head of American diplomacy accused the Italian lawyer of leading “illegitimate and shameful efforts” against the United States and Israel, evoking “anti-Semitic” behavior and an “ideological complicity with terrorism”.
A response to the explosive report of Albanese
This announcement occurs a few weeks after the publication of a very critical report by Francesca Albanese, in which it calls into question the role of several multinationals which, according to her, directly or indirectly support military and Israeli colonization in the Palestinian territories.
She denounces in particular financial ties to the Israeli army and calls for international criminal responsibility for those who feed, in her words, “the occupation and apartheid system”.
Albanese also supports the steps taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) aimed at pursuing Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, for war crimes in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank.
A firm reaction from Francesca Albanese
Faced with this diplomatic offensive, Francesca Albanese reacted soberly but firmly. In a message also published on X, she said:
“I stand firmly and with conviction on the side of justice. »»
The Italian lawyer, appointed in 2022 by the UN Human Rights Council, is regularly targeted by pro-Israeli circles, who accuse her of partiality. His reports, documented but often virulent, propelled her at the heart of many controversies, especially after Israeli bombings on Rafah and the prolonged seat of Gaza.
Growing tensions around the ICC
This American announcement comes in a context of growing tensions around the role of the International Criminal Court, which Washington does not recognize, and the legality of Israeli reprisals in the occupied territories.
For many observers, these potential sanctions against a UN expert mark a new threshold in the politicization of international law, and could increase divisions within the international community on the treatment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
