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Two conferences, one in the lower house on Tuesday and another in the Senate on Thursday – were held to discuss the UN Rapporteur’s latest report, titled “From an Economy of Occupation to an Economy of Genocide.” The initiative was led by the Parliamentary Intergroup for Peace between Palestine and Israel, composed mostly of opposition parties.
Francesca Albanese, in a months-long investigation, documents what she calls “the logic of profit”, one of the reasons why, she says, “the genocide in Gaza continues”. “It is on this theme that I shed light in my latest report,” Albanese tells Euronews.
“It shows how 48 companies, illustrative of a system, having supported the economy of the Israeli occupation – which has completely deflated the possibility for Palestinians to exist, as a people in a state or as individuals with fundamental rights – now profit from what has become an economy of genocide. And the idea that there are those who profit economically from this is absolutely unbearable”, she adds.
Albanese, in a conference at the Senate, explained why, in her opinion, Italy is complicit. Justice and the defence of international law, she stressed, have no political affiliation. “The law is crystal clear. In January 2024, the International Court of Justice recognised the risk of genocide”, Albanese said, “from there the responsibilities of the Italian government are triggered”
“Italy is not a state like the others in Europe: a state silent in the face of genocide. The government”, she added, “and I am sorry to say this as an Italian, is one of the most assiduous voices in defence of its partnership with the State of Israel”.
The military industry is under the spotlight in Albanese’s investigation.“There is an Italian company like Leonardo,” Albanese told Euronews, “but in reality, there are also Italian universities and other entities I am investigating.”
The Rapporteur also referred to what she describes as “a crisis of credibility among companies.”She argues that claiming to follow due diligence is “a promise made to the public, but one that is often not backed up by facts. It’s an inconsistency that goes far beyond a moral issue”.
Opposition parties call the government’s attitude unacceptable, as it has chosen not to take a stand against one of its own citizens, a victim of sanctions. Despite this Albanese reiterates her will to continue his work.
“I have just finished an investigation that is costing me a lot and that leaves me unmoved in the defence of legality. I have been – and I hope I will be the last – international official to suffer this punishment. It is an attack on the heart of multilateralism. And, given my southern origins, I know what makes this mafia logic win: silence”.
The report also points the finger at companies in the technology sector that have sold products normally intended for civil purposes, but then used in military operations. To clarify responsibility and put an end to the genocide, the report says, the private sector is called to account and international law to ascertain the facts.
Meanwhile the director of the Jewish Brigade Museum, Davide Romano, harshly criticised Francesca Albanese’s participation in the conferences held in the House and Senate. Linking her presence to the attack that took place in Milan against two French citizens of Jewish origin, Romano called the decision to invite her ‘an inappropriate gesture’. ‘It seems crazy to me,’ he said, ‘her report fuels a climate of hatred”.
