Francesca Albanese, the United Nations particular rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has been among the many most distinguished and outspoken critics of Israel and its allies over the warfare in Gaza—which she’s described as a “full-fledged genocide”—and she or he’s made highly effective enemies due to it.
The Israeli authorities in 2024 declared Albanese, an Italian nationwide and a human rights lawyer, to be persona non grata and banned her from coming into the nation. Albanese was additionally sanctioned by the Trump administration this July for partaking with the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) in its “efforts to research, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of america or Israel.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Albanese of antisemitism and stated she’s “unfit” for her function.
Prime rights teams and the United Nations have condemned the U.S. sanctions towards Albanese, describing them as a blatant effort to silence a human rights professional for doing her job.
Although being sanctioned has had rippling and each day penalties for Albanese, she has not slowed down in pushing for Israel and its backers to be held accountable. She issued a report in October that referred to as out third-party states, and significantly america, for “their very own complicity in genocide” in Gaza.
“Braveness” is required in “a time of genocide,” Albanese instructed Overseas Coverage in an interview on the Doha Discussion board in Qatar on Dec. 6. “When human rights defenders get punished and the criminals are obtained with the crimson carpet, everybody has an issue and might change into the following sufferer,” she stated, whereas urging anybody with an “ounce of energy” to make use of it.
Albanese additionally mentioned the cease-fire in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza and her considerations over the U.N. Safety Council’s latest endorsement of it, and what retains her going regardless of the burden of the U.S. sanctions and frustrations with the worldwide system.
This dialog has been edited for size and readability.
Overseas Coverage: For the reason that cease-fire started in early October, over 350 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza. As issues stand, can we really name this a cease-fire?
Francesca Albanese: No, however I’ve stated it from the very starting—really, since even earlier than the cease-fire was agreed upon—within the sense that the preconditions to have the top of violence within the occupied Palestinian territory, and I’d say in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, is to comply with the legislation.
The Worldwide Court docket of Justice has spoken and stated Israel should withdraw the troops and put an finish to the occupation, which is illegal. So, why is Israel nonetheless occupying 54 % of the Gaza Strip and combating Palestinians? Combatants, rebels, terrorists—it doesn’t matter how Israel qualifies them, the Palestinians at this second and for the previous two years haven’t represented any menace to Israel. It’s the opposite means round.
I don’t suppose {that a} cease-fire can work, as a result of Israel doesn’t need it. Israel has already stated that the Palestinians have to maneuver out of Palestine, and it’s doing that. The Palestinians, in as a lot as they’re devastated, they aren’t asking to be evacuated en masse. They don’t need it, as a result of they know that that is the final piece of land of Palestine that continues to be to them.
FP: So, you suppose expulsion remains to be Israel’s total objective?
FA: Ethnic cleaning is the general objective of Israel. And it’s not simply Israel. Palestinians are a thorn within the facet, not simply of Israel. They actually characterize and embody the resistance, and prefer it or not, that is one thing that not many different states encourage. We’re not within the decolonization period.
So, the Palestinians should be tamed considerably or put of their place, because it has been stated many occasions by Israeli leaders and member states—america, at the start, but additionally European states and a few states on this area [the Gulf] as effectively who’re facilitating this. The U.S. is implementing it, and others are facilitating it.
FP: You’ve been fairly vital of the 20-point Gaza peace plan pushed by Trump and the latest U.N. Safety Council vote endorsing the plan. What are your largest considerations about this plan?
FA: The euphoria round this plan jogs my memory—in a way more tragic panorama—of the instant post-Oslo euphoria, the place folks have been speaking peace, peace, peace. However within the first two, three years, it was clear there wouldn’t be peace and that the matrix of management within the occupied Palestinian territory would get tighter and tighter. And that is one more step. Individuals converse of peace as they did 30 or 35 years in the past, however there isn’t a peace with out the top of the occupation, the top of Israeli rule over Palestinian life. They will carry on pretending and impersonating who they need on this horrific farce, but it surely’s a farce.
What actually impacts me, additionally as a lawyer, is that the Safety Council decision is towards worldwide legislation because it has been established—the correct of self-determination. There isn’t a purpose to ascertain any drive that isn’t determined by the folks, the place the persons are not consulted. Sure, there’s the buy-in of the Palestinian Authority. However the Palestinian Authority, we all know that it’s extra coerced than concerned. There’s a illustration deficit that may solely be crammed when there are elections. However to be able to have elections, there shouldn’t be occupation.
What stays vital is the belief of the correct of self-determination for the Palestinian folks, the correct to exist in a spot free as a folks, and this isn’t going to occur by means of this decision. However after all, it’s a Safety Council decision. As a lawyer, and many people have this dilemma proper now, how can we take a look at this? As a result of it’s a Safety Council decision, and on the identical time, it’s a betrayal of 80 years of improvement of worldwide legislation.
FP: Are there any redeemable facets of this plan? A few of its critics have successfully stated, “Look, it’s not good, however we’ve a minimum of seen a discount in combating—tens of 1000’s of Palestinians have been killed, and we wanted to maneuver in that path.”
FA: That is the proper instance of how cynical and dehumanizing the controversy is. As you simply stated, 350 Palestinians have been killed. And that is regular. We name it a cease-fire. Think about if 350 Italians or French folks or U.S. residents or Israelis had been killed in lower than 60 days. The world could be in shock. However they’re Palestinians, and so they’re doomed to die.
It’s very perverse logic, and it jogs my memory of what made the genocide of the Jewish folks, the Roma and Sinti, the disabled, the homosexuals who have been killed by the Nazi fascists attainable. It was regular to persecute individuals who had been already so dehumanized—the Jewish folks, at the start. And I, as a European, I’ve it in my DNA: I can not settle for this nonsense, not in 2025. Additionally, as a result of I do know that this nonsense is simply to camouflage financial and monetary pursuits. That is one more human sacrifice so that somebody can change into richer.
FP: What reasonable paths are there by way of holding the events to this battle accountable, together with the third-party states that you just’ve highlighted, who’ve helped fund this warfare, who’ve despatched billions of {dollars} of arms to Israel, like america?
FA: To start with, we must always cease calling it a battle, as a result of it’s not, except we name it a settler colonial battle. Just like the Native People towards the European settlers. I’m not even speaking of Israel as an entire. I’m speaking of Israel within the Gaza Strip, the West Financial institution, and East Jerusalem. Israel is a colonizer. And it’s a system of exploitation of Palestinian assets, because the Worldwide Court docket of Justice has stated.
In the meantime, member states should cease transferring weapons and buying and selling with Israel, as a result of there’s an obligation beneath the legislation of state duties that claims that member states have an obligation to not help a state that’s committing worldwide unsuitable. On this case, Israel is committing worldwide crimes which have already been recognized as of January 2024 by the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, who acknowledged the plausibility of justice.
There isn’t a means out aside from respecting worldwide legislation as the one risk to have peace, not only for the Palestinians, for the Israelis, however actually for all of us. As a result of that is the start of a decline that’s going to be very, very quick, and it’s going to guide into a brand new world that each one of us don’t have anything to achieve from.
FP: The US has sanctioned you over your work and has additionally sanctioned ICC judges. How have these sanctions personally affected you, and what sort of message does it ship when the world’s strongest nation makes use of its financial would possibly towards individuals who work in human rights?
FA: Typically I see it as David versus Goliath, however I don’t use it fairly often, as a result of I believe that the David are the Palestinians. The Palestinians are combating towards so many Goliaths, and I’m only one instance of collateral injury round this, as a result of I’ve been punished merely for doing my work, for documenting and reporting the violations of worldwide legislation dedicated by Israel. But in addition take a look at how weak the system is and the way fragile it feels that it must punish a person for a report she’s written, or the Worldwide Felony Court docket for doing its job and investigating alleged warfare criminals.
So, what does it say? It says that the system is weak and scared as a result of an awakening of conscience would possibly imply change. And I see that in my very own nation in Italy, the place for the previous two months, impulsively, persons are mobilizing, whereas earlier than they have been simply college students or people right here and there. Now, legal professionals are getting collectively to sue the businesses and authorities officers who’re complicit with crimes. Employees are organizing huge strikes and are calling for strikes in Europe … as a result of, like so many others, they don’t wish to carry the burden of the genocide that we’re all linked to, they usually don’t wish to be a part of a course of that exploits them.
FP: Once we discuss what’s occurred in Gaza, it’s clear that lots of people really feel that there’s been a tradition of impunity and that the worldwide system is damaged. You proceed to work and take part on this system however are clearly very vital of it. How do you stay hopeful within the course of?
FA: I’m unsure I keep hopeful. I keep dedicated, I keep put, as a result of the truth that the system is ugly and ineffective for the numerous, not for the few, is a name to remain put much more. After all, I’m enduring sacrifices, as a result of the truth that the sanctions have remodeled me right into a non-persona, I can not work together by means of something that has a monetary part. And it’s unimaginable. They’ve pushed me out. I’ve been financially censored, just like the judges and the prosecutors of the Worldwide Felony Court docket and Palestinian human rights organizations. Why? When human rights defenders get punished and the criminals are obtained with the crimson carpet, everybody has an issue and might change into the following sufferer.
However how do I keep satisfied that we have to carry on combating for a extra simply system? For our youngsters, for the following generations. We carry on believing, we carry on behaving as if we’ve inherited all this from our ancestors. No, we’re borrowing it from the youthful generations, and we owe them higher. Anybody who has an oz of energy ought to use it—their voice or their monetary privilege. That is the time to get collectively as a humanity in solidarity.
I do see that that is taking place as a result of there are numerous brave folks, many individuals exhibiting braveness. And in a time of genocide, that is what you want, not intelligence, however braveness. Journalists doing their job, lecturers defending their college students, dad and mom becoming a member of their children after they go to show. And holding governments accountable, particularly within the West, the place democracy is in a nasty state however nonetheless exists. There will probably be a second the place we are going to remorse to not have been extra engaged in stopping the whole collapse. There will probably be a second the place we are going to miss human rights once we don’t have them anymore.
