UN Rapporteur vows to speak out on Palestine despite US sanctions
More than five months after Washington imposed sanctions on Albanese over her work related to the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN expert remains barred from traveling to the United States, with any assets she may hold there subject to freezing. Despite these measures, Albanese has continued to publicly criticize Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Speaking in a recent interview in London, she said the pressure directed at her has grown "more and more intense," explaining that she has faced "spurious accusations of antisemitism, spurious accusations of supporting terrorism."
The 48-year-old Italian legal scholar argued that such allegations have been enabled by what she described as the "hypocrisy of many Western countries and Western people." She added: "They have become more and more vicious with personal threats and physical threats, and then the sanctions are a combination of it."
Still, she said the pressure campaign has failed to achieve its intended effect. "This does not silence me, because you cannot silence the truth in the face of a genocide," Albanese stated.
She expressed confidence that accountability would eventually prevail, saying it is only a matter of time before "this injustice ends sooner or later." Emphasizing the need for collective action, she added: "It will not last forever. That's why we need more people standing against it."
Earlier this year, UN experts warned that sanctions targeting Albanese pose a threat to the broader international human rights system. These warnings followed US action against her over what officials described as her role in encouraging International Criminal Court proceedings against US and Israeli officials.
Around the same period, Washington also imposed sanctions on several ICC officials involved in authorizing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Albanese underscored the importance of accountability at all levels, pointing out that citizens from multiple countries have participated in Israel’s military campaign. She argued that responsibility must extend to national governments, corporations, and individuals who may have enabled or taken part in crimes.
"They should be held accountable. They should be considered suspects," she said.
Asked about decisions by several European broadcasters to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel’s participation, Albanese said she was struck by the fact that exclusion was occurring in the cultural sphere rather than in diplomatic forums.
"It's incredible that Eurovision is the first place, like public gathering, where Israel is effectively being boycotted by countries standing up and moving out," she said.
She argued that stronger measures should already have been taken within international institutions, adding: "This should have happened in the UN General Assembly. Israel shouldn't sit as any other member states in the UN General Assembly right now. Its membership should be suspended."
Albanese clarified that her position does not stem from Israel being uniquely abusive, but from what she described as its persistent pattern of violations, saying it has acted "relentlessly."
Following confirmation that Israel would again compete in the annual music contest, broadcasters in several European countries announced their withdrawal from the 2026 event.
Albanese also highlighted the growing legal pressure Israel faces, noting ongoing proceedings at both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. She urged continued public and political engagement, saying: "Popular action, principled mobilization of member states, this will be infectious, and I hope will bring sooner, as soon as possible, to the end of Israel's crimes."
South Africa launched a case at the ICJ in late 2023 accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, with multiple countries later joining the proceedings. The court has since issued several provisional orders instructing Israel to prevent genocidal acts and allow humanitarian aid into the territory.
Separately, in late 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Since October 2023, more than 70,000 people—most of them women and children—have been killed in Gaza, with over 170,000 injured during an offensive that has continued despite the start of a truce earlier this year.
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