UN Watch was quoted in media outlets around the world in August 2025 on numerous topics, including our demand letter to the World Bank to fire Albanese’s husband over his own neutrality violations.
Appeared on Fox Business, August 22, 2025:
Key Quote:
Hamas is a nihilistic death cult. They are holding onto hostages, in part to torture them, but also to create a rift between Israelis, because a large part of Israelis say: “Do everything to release the hostages,” and others say: “Yes, but we also have to defeat Hamas.” So it’s a horrible dilemma, and one wouldn’t want to be any of Israel’s cabinet ministers having to make that decision.
Featured in Norway’s TV 12 News, August 21, 2025:
Key Quote:
Francesca Albanese lied and covered up the fact that her visit to Australia which was a lobbying trip to Australia and New Zealand was funded in part by pro-Hamas groups. We sounded the alarm after her trip in November 2023. She denied it. She said she was funded only by the UN and yet in March 2025 a UN committee that investigated our complaint found that in the she had been funded by “external groups” for her travel in Australia and New Zealand.
Featured in Fox Business, “UN watchdog demands World Bank fire senior economist over social media posts,” August 12, 2025:
A United Nations watchdog organization is calling on the World Bank to terminate the employment of its Senior Country Economist in Tunisia, Massimiliano Cali. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer claims that Cali’s social media posts violated his neutrality obligations as a World Bank employee. “If this was just one or two infractions, that would be one thing. But this is someone who has embraced Hamas and acted as their apologist for over a decade,” Neuer told Fox Business.
Featured in the Washington Free Beacon, “Anti-Israel Outburst From Husband of Sanctioned UN Palestinian Rights Envoy Fuels Calls for Dismissal From World Bank,” August 21, 2025:
Cali deleted at least six posts in recent weeks after UN Watch first raised the issue with the WBG. But more than 70 “one-sided political posts pertaining to Israel” still remain available on Cali’s social media as of Aug. 13, according to the watchdog group. Cali’s accusations against Israel created the “clear appearance of a coordinated political campaign, in which a World Bank official lent institutional credibility to his wife’s partisan advocacy against a member state,” Hillel Neuer wrote.
Interviewed in Sweden’s Bulletin, “Neuer: How Hamas Controls UNRWA From Within,” August 24, 2025:
In an exclusive interview with Bulletin, UN Watch chief Hillel Neuer reveals how the Muslim terrorist organization Hamas has taken over the UN agency UNRWA, thanks Sweden for cutting funding, and dismisses Social Democrat ally Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a peace partner.
Quoted in the New York Sun, “While International Community Mourns a Slain Al Jazeera Journalist, Anas al-Sharif, Pro-Israel Voices Summon Proof of His Ties to Terror,” August 11, 2025:
As Israel’s targeted killing of a senior Al Jazeera journalist, Anas al-Sharif, draws international condemnation, pro-Israel advocates are working to set the record straight on the Gaza correspondent’s ties to Hamas. “CNN: Al Jazeera’s Anas Al-Sharif was ‘a prominent journalist,’” the director, Hillel Neuer, of a United Nations watchdog group, UN Watch, wrote on Monday morning. “TRUTH: Anas Al-Sharif was a terrorist who headed a Hamas cell guiding rocket attacks at Israeli civilians, given journalistic cover by Qatari-funded Al Jazeera.”
Featured in the Jerusalem Post, “Albanese claims Hamas should be understood as a ‘political force,’ not ‘fighters,’ August 16, 2025:
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese defended Hamas’s rule over the Gaza Strip in an address earlier this week, shared on social media by UN Watch on Friday. In a 2014 Facebook post, she claimed, “America is subjugated by the Jewish Lobby,” according to a UN Watch report titled ‘Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Why Democracies Should Sanction UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.’
Featured in Italy’s Il Riformista, “Dismissed Massimiliano Calì,” husband of Francesca Albanese: the case shakes the World Bank, “incendiary” words against the USA and Israel,” August 14, 2025:
The organization UN Watch, based in Geneva and committed to monitoring the United Nations and fighting anti-Semitism, asked World Bank President Ajay Banga to fire senior country economist Massimiliano Calì, accusing him of having seriously violated the institution’s neutrality rules. According to UN Watch, Calì – serving at the World Bank in Tunisia – would have published incendiary posts on social media for years, accused of inciting anti-Semitism, promoting jihadist terrorism and hitting Israel and the United States with verbal attacks.
Featured in Italy’s Open, “Francesca Albanese no longer has the blue tick on X, Elon Musk’s punishment after US sanctions: ‘A mafia intimidation,'” August 4, 2025:
Francesca Albanese, United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has lost her “blue check”, the sign that distinguishes verified profiles on X, after a legal action by UN Watch addressed directly to Elon Musk. The verification badge, thanks to which a profile enjoys greater visibility, has been removed following its inclusion in the US sanctions announced in recent days.
Featured in France’s Francs-Tireur, “Albanese: heavens, her husband!” August 20, 2025:
Like Albanese, this economist at the World Bank spread the thesis of the “genocide in Gaza” and the “apartheid” regime. But as a bonus, he claims that Israel would have “invented knife attacks”, yet documented, to “justify massacres”, and describes Hamas terrorists as “children in Gaza’s open-air prison”. Problem: this economist is an advisor to the Ministry of Finance of the Palestinian government in Ramallah and has written reports on “Israeli occupation”. A conflict of interest that has just pushed the NGO UN Watch, which monitors the activities of the UN, to ask the resignation of Calì to the president of the World Bank.
Quoted in Blaze Media, “UN associate loses blue check on X after getting hit with US sanctions,” August 5, 2025:
“This is a major achievement,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, the organization that led the campaign against Albanese. “Verification on X provided Albanese with many advantages — greater visibility, algorithmic amplification, and an appearance of credibility. Stripping that badge sends a clear message: Anyone who targets U.S. officials and companies and supports terrorists will suffer consequences, no matter their title.”
Featured in Israel’s ynet, “‘Israel invents stabbing attacks’: Call to fire senior World Bank economist,” August 13, 2025:
UN Watch has called on World Bank President Ajay Banga to fire Tunisia’s top economist, Massimiliano Cali, who has published anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist posts. He has described terrorists killed by IEDs as “children in the open prison of Gaza.” His wife, a UN envoy, has previously accused Israel of a “Holocaust” and is subject to US sanctions.
Featured in the Jerusalem Post, “UN’s Francesca Albanese loses ‘blue check’ verification on X amid coming US sanctions,” August 4, 2025:
“This is a major achievement,” UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer said, adding that “Verification on X provided Albanese with many advantages, greater visibility, algorithmic amplification, and an appearance of credibility. Stripping that badge sends a clear message: anyone who targets US officials and companies and supports terrorists will suffer consequences, no matter their title.”
Quoted in Germany’s Juedische Allgemeine, “Francesca Albanese bluntly defends Hamas – NGO calls for consequences,” August 19, 2025:
UN Watch described Albanese’s statements as a “horious apology for the brutal and sadistic terrorist organization Hamas” and called on all member states of the United Nations to convict Albanians. Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said: “The UN Secretary-General has a duty to speak when a UN person brings the organization into disrepute. The same applies to the UN human rights chief Volker Türk. We urge them to end their silence.”
Quoted in Brazil’s Crusoé, “UN special rapporteur defends Hamas,” August 15th, 2025:
In the compilation published by the NGO UN Watch, Albanese claims that the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas is “a political force that won the 2005 elections. Whether we like it or not; Hamas built schools, public institutions, hospitals. It was simply the de facto authority.” Hillel Neuer said in an interview, “they chose someone [Francesca] who is obsessed with comparing Israelis to Nazis, which unfortunately president [Lula] also does, but she is obsessed with doing this and they deliberately chose her.”
Featured in Mexico’s Enlace Judío, “X punishes the antisemite Francesca Albanese and removes the verification,” August 4, 2025:
UN Watch stated that on July 31 it sent a letter to X’s executive director, Elon Musk, asking him to remove Albanese’s verification status due to the sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration last month. “This is an important achievement,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.
Featured in the Dutch outlet 31Mag, “The Italian right against Francesca Albanese’s visit to the Chamber of Commerce: when she was prevented from speaking in Holland,” August 1, 2025:
Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp called some comments and social posts of the rapporteur “inappropriate”. The criticism stems largely from a report by UN Watch, known for its campaigns against critical UN officials towards Israel.
Featured in Italy’s Il Tempo, “Francesca Albanese, now also Musk’s ‘sanction,’ August 5, 2025:
For the first time ever, a United Nations official has lost their blue tick on social media, in this case on X, formerly Twitter. It all happened a few days after a law firm representing the Geneva-based control organization UN Watch sent a legal appeal to the platform’s owner, Elon Musk.
Featured in Israel’s ynet, “UN Watch urges World Bank to fire economist over Israel genocide remarks, August 22, 2025:
UN Watch demands World Bank dismiss senior economist Maxillo Cali after he accused Israel of genocide in recorded Italian parliamentary remarks; Critics say his comments violate the Bank’s non-political mandate and harm its credibility.
Quoted in Israel’s Maariv, “Famous Italian couple breaks anti-Semitism records: ‘Israel invents terrorist attacks,'” August 12, 2025:
“Massimilino Cali’s long record of anti-Semitic, anti-American, and pro-terrorism rhetoric makes a mockery of the World Bank’s code of conduct,” said UN WATCH Executive Director Hillel Neuer in response . “By allowing a supporter of terrorism to continue in office, the credibility of the World Bank is being undermined and its good name is being damaged
Featured in Italy’s Daily Atlantic, “‘Hamas? They are not a cut-throat.’ The shocking video of Albanese,” August 18, 2025:
Francesca Albanese’s intervention in Catania on August 8th is being discussed a lot. A long conference in Piazza Federico di Svevia to present his book “When the world sleeps” and which attracted the attention of the NGO UN Watch that relaunched some snippets of his speech. “We call on all United Nations member states to condemn Francesca Albanese’s despicable apology for the brutal and sadistic Hamas terrorist organization,” attacks the executive director of UN Watch, Hillel Neuer.
Featured in Israel’s Maariv, “After US sanctions: Elon Musk hits back at antisemitic UN envoy,” August 4, 2025:
Francesca Albanese, the controversial UN special envoy for the territories, who was sanctioned by the US government last month, has lost her verification on the social network X (formerly Twitter), just days after a legal warning letter was sent by UN Watch to the platform’s owners, Elon Musk.
Featured in the Algemeiner, “UN Official Defends Hamas as ‘Political Force’ in Gaza, Says People Shouldn’t Think of Terror Group as ‘Fighters,’” August 18, 2025:
Francesa Albanese, the UN’s controversial special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, made the shocking remarks at an event in Sicily on Aug. 8. UN Watch, a Geneva-based NGO that monitors the international body, on Friday shared footage of her comments, which then went viral. In response, Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, posted on social media that he and his organization “call on all UN member states to condemn Albanese’s support for terrorism.”
Quoted in the Canadian Jewish News, “Canadian politicians and Jewish leaders react to federal recognition of Palestinian statehood,” August 6, 2025:
There’s no incentive now for Hamas to sit down at the table and release hostages. That sentiment was repeated by Hillel Neuer, executive director of Geneva-based UN Watch. “In Montreal in 1970, terrorists calling to make Quebec a state took a British diplomat hostage for 60 days and murdered a cabinet minister,” he posted online. “Canada invoked the War Measures Act and sent in troops. Now Mark Carney is sending the message that murder and kidnapping wins you a state.”
Featured in Israel’s ynet, “After sanctions imposed on her: Musk removes blue checkmark from UN envoy to Palestinian territories,” August 4, 2025:
Billionaire Elon Musk removed the blue checkmark from UN envoy to the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese’s X account, about a month after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions on her. A legal warning letter was sent by the organization UN Watch to platform owner Musk.
Featured in Israel National News, “Francesca Albanese loses ‘Blue Check’ status on X,” August 4, 2025:
For the first time ever, a United Nations official has lost her “blue check” verified status on X, formerly known as Twitter. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese had her verification status removed today. UN Watch stated that on July 31, it sent a letter to X CEO Elon Musk calling on him to remove Albanese’s verified status in light of the sanctions imposed on her by the Trump Administration last month.
Featured in Israel’s News1, “Call to fire senior World Bank economist: ‘Israel invents stabbing attacks,'” August 12, 2025:
UN Watch demands that the World Bank dismiss economist Massimiliano Cali, who works in Tunisia, following public records of an anti-Semitic nature and support for terrorism, and identification with anti-American and anti-Israeli positions.
Quoted in Israel’s Hamal, “Musk agreed – and removed the ‘blue check’ from the X for the antisemitic UN official,” August 4, 2025:
“After we reached out to Elon Musk and received a quick positive response, we are now also reaching out to Meta,” Neuer adds. “I have a draft of a letter on my desk to Mark Zuckerberg himself. We are contacting all social media networks, because according to the US government’s sanctions, they are prohibited from providing service to Albenza, especially since the sanctions are due to her quotes on the networks, which are the very heart of her antisemitism.”
Featured in All Israel News, “UN Watch urges World Bank to fire economist over genocide claims against Israel,” August 23, 2025:
UN Watch, an NGO dedicated to combating bias and institutionalized hatred against Israel, has urged the World Bank to fire its senior economist, Maxillo Cali, after he accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. In a letter addressed to World Bank President Ajay Banga, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer warned that Cali’s hostile positions undermined the bank’s credibility.
Featured in VOZ Media, “UN’s ‘irrational obsession’ with Israel denounced, August 13, 2025:
A recent report by UN Watch, a non-governmental organization dedicated to monitoring compliance with the founding principles of the United Nations, calls into question the integrity of the international organization. The UN Watch database reveals two critical problems: the presence of authoritarian regimes in leadership positions in key UN bodies and an “irrational obsession” with condemning Israel, which diverts attention from millions of victims of human rights abuses around the world.
Featured in The Daily Economy, “The UN is Costly and Corrupt: Should the US Pull Back?” August 14, 2025:
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a thoroughly odious UN agency that has been shown (most consistently by UN Watch) to run institutions that serve as centers of anti-Israel subversion, to run schools that indoctrinate children into Jew hatred and violence while serving as weapons depots and command posts for the terrorist group Hamas.
Featured in Israel’s Bhol, “World Bank uproar: Senior official accused of encouraging terrorism and comparing Israel to the Nazis,” August 13, 2025:
Massimiliano Cali, the bank’s chief economist, claimed that Israel “invents stabbing attacks” to justify massacres, and that it is “the most terrorist country in the world.” UN Watch, a Geneva-based organization that monitors UN activities, called on World Bank President Ajay Banga to fire Cali.
Featured in Israel’s Vesty, “A World Bank official is required to be fired for anti-Semitic publications and support for terror,” August 13, 2025:
UN Watch sent an official complaint to the leadership of the World Bank (World Bank – WB) demanding the immediate dismissal of Massimilino Cali, senior economist of the office in Tunisia. The complaint made known on Wednesday, August 13, indicates that for many years Kali has been publishing provocative materials in social networks, “inciting hatred against Jews and directed against Israel and the United States.”
Featured in Israel’s Ice, “Elon Musk is in action: Network X ‘s move against UN representative,” August 4, 2025:
The campaign against Albanese’s blue check began last month when the monitoring group UN Watch called for the symbol to be removed. “X-verification has provided it with many benefits – greater visibility and an appearance of credibility. Removing this badge sends a clear message: anyone who supports terrorists will suffer consequences, regardless of their title,” said Hillel Neuer, the UN Watch’s director.
