Christian Groups File Defamation Lawsuit Against ex-UN Official Francesca Albanese
Francesca Albanese, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, has used her title and platform to smear Israel and promote antisemitism, according to a federal lawsuit filed by two Christian organizations.
On behalf of Christians for Israel USA and Christian Friends of Israeli Communities, the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) filed a lawsuit on September 8, 2025, in the U.S. Federal District Court in Colorado. The suit accuses Albanese of defamation, trade libel, and tortious interference, following a series of public statements and reports in which she accused the charities of war crimes and other heinous acts — claims the plaintiffs say are wholly baseless.
The complaint outlines a malicious campaign by Albanese, who, despite explicit warnings from Christians for Israel and the U.S. Department of Justice, continued to publish inflammatory accusations. In a letter dated April 24, 2025, Albanese alleged that the organizations were guilty of “gross human rights violations,” including apartheid, crimes of aggression, and willful killing.
This escalation follows a pattern since Albanese’s appointment in 2022. In her reports, she has repeatedly attacked Israel’s legitimacy, describing it as a “settler-colonialist entity” and accusing organizations like Christians for Israel (C4I) of enabling the displacement of Palestinians through humanitarian aid in Judea and Samaria. She claimed that C4I’s support for food aid, emergency housing, and care for the vulnerable constituted violations of international law and possibly war crimes — despite independent expert reports confirming that none of the donations were used to support violence or land theft.
Christians for Israel sent a formal request for evidence to Albanese in May 2025, but received no response.
“If a racist antisemite gains a position of power and proceeds to abuse the public platform she enjoys in order to perpetuate lies about religious organizations for their compassion toward and allyship with the Jewish people and the Jewish State of Israel, she can and should be held liable for defamation,” said Rachel Sebbag, NJAC litigation counsel.
“Persecution of Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters is not new,” added Willem Griffioen, Chairman of Christians for Israel International and Christians for Israel USA. “Albanese’s goal is to cut off our love and support for Israel, and she tramples our freedoms in the process. We will not be silent.”
The complaint alleges that Albanese sought “to destroy plaintiffs’ reputations and economic wellbeing” through a smear campaign driven by ideological hostility toward Israel and its supporters. Her rhetoric has led to death threats against staff, vandalism of offices in Europe, and political pressure to revoke the groups’ charitable status.
“Some of the vilest antisemites and terror supporters have sought to shield themselves from accountability by hiding behind the UN flag,” said Eugene Kontorovich, professor at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, who advised the legal team. “But as UNRWA recently discovered, automatic immunity is over. The Trump Administration has commendably sanctioned Albanese, but the American citizens she has harmed deserve direct justice.”
“Our mission is simple: to connect Christians with Jewish communities in Israel and foster relationships,” said Kimberly Troup, Director of the US Office of Christian Friends of Israeli Communities. “Francesca Albanese’s defamatory campaign has placed our work, our staff, and our donors at great risk. We will not allow lies and antisemitism to silence us.”
For more information, please contact Dr. Leon Meijer: lmeijer@c4israel.org
