A U.S. advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit against Francesca Albanese, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, accusing her of defamation and related claims over remarks targeting American Christian charities that support Israeli settlements.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) brought the suit on behalf of Christian Friends of Israeli Communities and Christians for Israel USA. The complaint alleges that Albanese falsely accused the groups of war crimes and other serious abuses in statements and reports, despite warnings from the organizations and the U.S. Department of Justice that such accusations were defamatory.
Rachel Sebbag, NJAC’s litigation counsel, said Albanese should be held accountable for using her former UN platform to “perpetuate lies about American religious organizations for their compassion toward and allyship with the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel by smearing them and calling for them to be blacklisted and sanctioned, she can and should be held liable for defamation.”
Albanese, who completed her mandate as UN rapporteur in April 2025, released a report in June accusing U.S. companies and executives connected with Israel of enabling genocide and calling for sanctions, including blacklisting and prosecution. The lawsuit contends she has continued to describe herself as a UN official, amplifying the impact of her comments.
Eugene Kontorovich, a professor at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School who advised the plaintiffs, said the case reflects a growing pushback against what he called misuse of UN roles to avoid accountability.
Representatives of the two Christian charities said Albanese’s remarks placed their staff and donors at risk and undermined their work in Israel. “These ministries exist to build bridges of faith, and to smear them as war criminals is not just false, it is a dangerous lie,” said Mark Goldfeder, NJAC’s chief executive.
Albanese, an Italian lawyer who served as UN rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories beginning in 2022, has been a frequent critic of Israeli policy. She was sanctioned by the U.S. government earlier this year for comments deemed antisemitic, a charge she has denied.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks damages for defamation, trade libel and tortious interference. Albanese has not publicly responded to the complaint.