UN Watch has called for the firing of World Bank economist Maxillo Cali after he was recorded in the Italian Parliament accusing Israel of genocide.
In the video, Cali said, “Italians abhor genocide, and Italians don’t want to take part in genocide. So how is it that politics decides, day after day, to continue this decision, not only washing its hands of this genocide, but also, as we heard, explicitly supporting it?”
UN Watch sent a letter to World Bank President Ajay Banga, warning that Cali’s actions pose a “serious threat” to the institution’s credibility and violate its mandate to remain non-political.
Cali is married to UN Human Rights envoy Francesca Albanese, who has faced U.S. sanctions over what critics call anti-Israel activity. Cali has repeatedly compared Israel to Nazi Germany and described it as a “colonial apartheid settlement project.” In one social media post, he likened a Jewish child in the Warsaw Ghetto to a Palestinian youth in Gaza.
Many of Cali’s posts remained online for years before being removed after the World Bank received a formal complaint. Fox Business reported last week that the Bank confirmed it had taken “disciplinary action” and removed posts that crossed the line. However, UN Watch maintains that anything short of firing Cali contradicts the Bank’s policy, which mandates dismissal for employees spreading hate speech, barring future employment.
The letter also highlights Cali’s recent political involvement in Italy. Footage released by UN Watch shows Cali participating in a conference organized by a coalition of left-wing parties under the Five Star Movement, in which his wife presented a report titled “From Occupation Economy to Genocide Economy.”
During the event, Cali identified himself by name and accused Israel, a World Bank member state, of genocide, telling Italian lawmakers they were washing their hands of the issue and warning that Italian voters would hold politicians accountable if they did not act. In a subsequent interview with the Italian edition of The Huffington Post, Cali called for European recognition of a Palestinian state and suspension of EU-Israel agreements.
Copies of the complaint were sent to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions.