Francesca Albanese Was Sanctioned Because She Supports Terror — Not Because She Criticizes Israel
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by Channa Rifkin
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, attends a side event during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Francecsa Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the “Occupied Palestinian Territories,” is not an international lawyer. She is, however, a biased terror justifier and supporter who denies Israel’s right to self defense. She continuously insists that the West hasn’t done enough to withdraw any kind of support or dealings with Israel, and spouts antisemitic rhetoric, while denying she is antisemitic.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last Wednesday that the United States would finally sanction Albanese for her threat to US interests.
The Western media, however, took that to mean she was sanctioned for her criticism of Israel’s war on Hamas — claiming it was a continuation of the “war” on pro-Palestinian advocates, and an attempt to silence those who “looking into alleged crimes committed by Israel as the war in Gaza continues,” as stated by CNN.
Headlines from the likes of the BBC, CNN, Associated Press (AP), Bloomberg, and beyond downplay who she really is and the real threat she poses.
Except she isn’t just a “critic of Israel’s Gaza offensive,” is she, @BBCNews?
Francesca Albanese is one of the most vehement Israel haters operating within the international system & has been criticized for antisemitism by multiple countries.
But BBC prefers to downplay that. pic.twitter.com/QolwYqrwqM
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 10, 2025
The source? A wire article from the AP by Farnoush Amiri titled “US issues sanctions against UN investigator probing abuses in Gaza.”
Amiri editorializes, claiming that the US aims to “punish critics” of Israel’s war in Gaza.
For over a year, the media have ignored the violent and antisemitic nature of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses in the US, and instead, painted these activists as peaceful demonstrators who advocate for equal rights for all people.
From Mahmoud Khalil to Mohsen Mahdawi, these are not just peaceful demonstrators exercising their right to freedom of speech and protest.
The @nytimes gave op-ed space to Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi so he could pose as a peace-seeking “human rights activist.”
Left out? Court docs say he boasted about his “love” of “killing Jews.”
Apparently, some human rights don’t count. pic.twitter.com/cx3HytriCu
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 4, 2025
In Albanese’s case, she has said numerous times that resistance is acceptable “by any means, including armed struggle,” including at a Hamas conference in Gaza to a room filled with Hamas senior officials.
That time she spoke at a Hamas conference and told the crowd they have the “right to resist” Israelhttps://t.co/1nGILmzU7Q
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) April 4, 2025
So no, AP, this is not a campaign to silence criticism of Israel. It is a campaign to combat terror supporters, antisemites and threats to US interests, including Israel. This isn’t a statement on politics, it’s a statement on media transparency.
The Times took things a step further, using Albanese’s past comments to make their point. Reporter George Grylls describes a 2024 interview in which Albanese was asked whether she believed Israel has the right to exist. Her answer? Avoidant.
As for the Telegraph’s take? Well, apparently the evidence she has presented herself over the years isn’t enough. She is merely “accused” of “bias,” and again, sanctioned “over Israel criticism.”
As the media continue to reel from this exceptional move, it’s important to remind the world who Francesca Albanese is and what the US sanction actually stands for, because the media certainly won’t. UN Watch’s Executive Director Hillel Neuer said it best:
You justified the October 7 massacre as it was happening. Now the United States has made you the first purported UN official in history to be sanctioned. You will never again spread your poison on American campuses or enter the country. Justice is served. Good triumphs over evil. https://t.co/gNVIPaizRh
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 9, 2025
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
