The Israel lobby has tried for years to silence United Nations Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine Francesca Albanese for her outspoken advocacy for the Palestinian people and condemnation of its genocide in Gaza. And it has failed for years, including an attempt earlier this year to prevent her re-accreditation to the position, an attempt that was overwhelmingly rejected by UN member states on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The latest attempt has been sanctions on Albanese by the Trump regime. If anything, US hostility has amplified Albanese’s voice for Palestinians and against genocide. However, her work has not been without cost for the Italian international law expert and her family. Anything but, in fact – although Albanese, who carries out her duties without pay, is unbowed she has spoken out about the impact of the sanctions, which have led banks, insurance companies, and even the European Union, to cut her off:
Francesca Albanese faces sanctions
As the video notes, Albanese is not the only victim of the US’s attempts to destroy international law to protect Israel – the Trump regime has sanctioned International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, while Israel tried to discredit and intimidate him for daring to persuade the ICC to issue arrest warrants on war crimes charges for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Albanese said:
My medical insurance refused to reimburse me. I have a private medical insurance and they refused to reimburse me because I’m sanctioned by the US.
The US, as it widens its war on the ICC, has sanctioned nine of court’s officials, including Canadian ICC judge Kimberley Prost – and, like Albanese, Prost has also spoken out about the injustice and its significance, though unlike Albanese she thinks the institution will weather Trump’s pro-genocide storm:
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Israel is a rogue and terror state and the US, under Trump, has come out of the closet as one – and not just concerning Palestine.
The ICC, the EU and all ICC signatory governments must take an absolute stand against bullying and intimidation by the Zionist machine. Tragically for Palestinians and the world, all too many of them are collaborating with that machine against justice and international law.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot/DRM News
By Skwawkbox
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