US sanctions UN expert on Palestinian territories
Albanese, an Italian legal scholar who was appointed as an independent expert by the United Nations Human Rights Council, has been a vehement critic of Israel's conduct in Gaza, regularly describing the war as a 'genocide'.
In a report last week, she urged other countries to impose an arms embargo on Israel, accusing US defence companies including Lockheed Martin and Palantir of profiting from the 'lucrative' war.
This week, Albanese, 48, campaigned for the governments of Italy, France and Greece to close their airspace to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as he flew to the US, citing his outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Albanese's outspokenness on the conflict was condemned by the US last month when the White House urged Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, to fire her for her 'virulent antisemitism'.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, announced on Wednesday that Albanese would be sanctioned for her 'biased and malicious activities'.
'Albanese has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism and open contempt for the United States, Israel and the West,' he said.
He added that her 'bias has been apparent across the span of her career', including her recommendation that the ICC issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, an Israeli former minister of defence.
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'She has recently escalated this effort by writing threatening letters to dozens of entities worldwide, including major American companies … making extreme and unfounded accusations and recommending the ICC pursue investigations and prosecutions of these companies and their executives,' Rubio said.
'We will not tolerate these campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty.'
President Trump's administration has already imposed sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors including Karim Khan, the British lawyer who issued the original arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
One of the most influential voices among pro-Palestinian activists, Albanese was asked last year whether Israel had a right to exist.
'Israel does exist,' she said. 'Israel is a recognised member of the United Nations … what is enshrined in international law is the right of a people to exist. So the state of Israel is there. It's protected as a member of the United Nations. Does this justify the erasure of another people? Hell no.'
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