Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the United States is placing sanctions on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, citing her attempts to bring charges against American and Israeli officials at the International Criminal Court.
“Today, I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt the International Criminal Court action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,” Rubio declared.
He condemned Albanese’s efforts as a form of targeted aggression, stating, “Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated. We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”
Rubio emphasized that Washington remains fully committed to countering what he called “lawfare,” vowing to protect national interests and those of America’s allies. “The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies,” he stated.
Reacting to the announcement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar applauded the move, calling it “a clear message. Time for the UN to pay attention!”
Albanese has long been accused of harboring an anti-Israel agenda. Concerns about her impartiality first surfaced in 2022, when she posted statements on social media suggesting that the “Jewish lobby” controls U.S. policy—a comment widely condemned as antisemitic.
In December 2023, controversy intensified when Albanese called it “unacceptable” to demand the release of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, among them infants and small children, including 9-month-old Kfir Bibas. While she has never issued a call for Hamas to free the hostages—approximately 50 of whom are still held—she has publicly advocated for the release of a Gaza hospital director accused of being a Hamas operative.
In the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, Albanese released a book titled J’Accuse, borrowing the name of a historic essay that once decried antisemitism in the Dreyfus Affair. In her version, however, she sought to redirect blame away from Hamas and onto Israel.
Even after the horrors of October 7, Albanese has continued to assert that Israel does not have the right to defend itself against Hamas.
{Matzav.com}