US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they’re sanctioning her because she worked directly with the ICC to go after US or Israeli nationals. Rubio said she is not fit for her UN job.
Why the US is angry at Albanese
These sanctions mean she can’t travel to the US and any assets she has in the US will be blocked. It’s part of Trump’s larger fight against the ICC. The US had already sanctioned 4 ICC judges earlier because the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli PM Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant, as stated by the BBC report.
Israel and the US reject the war crimes accusations from the ICC. Rubio also said Albanese has shown antisemitism, supported terrorism, and disrespected the US, Israel, and the West. This move will likely cause backlash from people who want accountability for deaths in Gaza, as per reports.
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Albanese has long said that Western countries don’t do enough to protect Palestinian rights. She has gained support from people who believe that US and Israeli leaders misuse accusations of antisemitism to silence critics, as mentioned by the report by BBC report.
Rubio claimed she wrote “threatening letters” to US companies, accusing them of bad things and asking the ICC to go after them. Rubio said: “We won’t let these political attacks hurt our national interests or sovereignty”, as per the reports.
What Albanese said about Israel and Gaza
Earlier this month, Albanese asked dozens of big companies to stop working with Israel. She warned that they could be linked to war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. She said these companies profit from occupation, apartheid, and genocide. Israel rejected her report, calling it “groundless” and said it will go to the “dustbin of history”, according to the report by BBC.
In February, Albanese criticized Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and move people out. She said it was illegal, wrong, and dangerous. The sanctions were announced while Netanyahu is in Washington, getting military honors at the Pentagon, as per the report.
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Albanese has denied past accusations, saying: “This isn’t about me, and those who accuse me don’t follow international law.” The Israeli military began its attacks on Gaza after a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages, according to the report by BBC.
Since then, 57,575 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Most people in Gaza have been displaced many times, and homes, hospitals, and basic services are destroyed. There are huge shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel, says reports.
FAQs
Q1. Why did Trump sanction Francesca Albanese?
Trump sanctioned UN official Francesca Albanese because she supported the ICC’s actions against the US and Israel and criticized Israel’s war in Gaza.
Q2. What did Francesca Albanese say about Israel and Gaza?
Francesca Albanese accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza and said many Western companies are helping its occupation and attacks.
