It has become standard procedure. Can’t justify your policies? Then attack your critics.
If you can’t defend your actions, then simply make accusations against your accusers.
It’s the Israeli playbook – so naturally it has become the American playbook.
So the United States has formally sanctioned the the UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, an outspoken critic of Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
It’s probably been a long time coming: with the US having already sanctioned judges from the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants from Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
Italian born Albanese has been a long time human rights advocate and UN special rapporteur.
Marco Rubio accused Albanese of having “spewed unabashed antisemitism“, “support for terrorism“, and “open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West“.
What this reinforces is why Netanyahu keeps going to Washington: every time he does, he gets something he wants. The White House is like a buffet for the Israelis.
The pro-Israel, establishment media is dutifully doing its part to assist the move as well. The Telegraph, for example, describes Albanese as ‘the ‘unsackable’ UN Palestine envoy who spreads conspiracy theories about the ‘Jewish lobby’…’
Elsewhere in The Telegraph, Jake Wallis Simmons writes ‘The poisonous face of UN Israel-hatred has finally got her comeuppance…’
He continues, ‘Six months into Donald Trump’s second term, it is easy to forget just how unconventional and wonderful his administration can be. Can you imagine any other president taking such an obvious, justified and long-overdue step as sanctioning a poisonous UN official who appears to hate Israel, America and the West?‘
And on and on it goes: you get the picture.
Entirely uncoincidentally, this sanctioning of Albanese comes days after her report on global and corporate complicity in Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
Her report, titled ‘From economy of occupation to economy of genocide‘ examines not only the role of the weapons industry and the military suppliers, but everything from agricultural companies selling produce from illegal settlements, and investment firms helping fund the ethnic cleansing.
Among companies implicated are the likes of Google, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft, BlackRock, Vanguard, Barclays bank, Allianz, and many others.
The corporate involvement spans multiple counties, including even the likes of China and Mexico.
The report also highlights the role of US-based Palantir Technologies, which has recently been embraced by the Trump administration as a domestic surveillance tool. The Peter Thiel owned company has a strategic partnership with the IDF for “war related missions“.
The timing of Albanese’s sanctioning is not surprising then.
The focus on various corporate entities enabling Israel’s activities or partnering with active illegality has obviously been problematic and embarrassing.
The sheer number of wealthy entities and individuals who’ve been directly funding illegal settlements in the West Bank alone (including individuals like Steve Bannon) for years could fill a book.
Not that the lucrative nature of war – and even war crimes – should be a surprise to anyone.
But these realities are not meant to be spoken of aloud in polite society. Albanese broke the etiquette. It’s like farting at a dinner party – you’re just not supposed to do it.
