Nobel for Peace: For Courage, Francesca Albanese

Author: سهيل كيوان

In a tragicomic scene, the wanted international criminal for war crimes, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced his nomination of U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The first two winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901 were:
The first was the Swiss Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross in 1863, which has 193 branches of the Red Cross and Red Crescent worldwide, providing humanitarian services in war zones and areas affected by natural disasters. These services include medical assistance, communication with prisoners, and with families in afflicted regions, as well as providing blankets, tents, food, treatment, and more for the affected.

The second, who shared the award, was a French economist and parliamentarian who founded the "French Society for Arbitration between Nations." He was one of the early advocates for the establishment of an international court to resolve disputes between countries through negotiations, arbitration, and peaceful means.

An overview of the names of laureates reveals individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to resolving armed conflicts around the world, as well as protecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, the poor, and indigenous peoples, and the struggle for democracy and human rights.

Through his nomination of Trump, Netanyahu aims to hit several birds with one stone: first, to repay Trump for what he has done and continues to do for the occupation, culminating in his involvement in the war against Iran and bombings of its nuclear facilities, and countering Iranian missiles. Prior to this, he moved the U.S. embassy to occupied Jerusalem and recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel, in violation of international law.

He opened the American weapon storages without any limits for the Israeli occupation, and his direct participation in the displacement of Gazans under the banner of creating a humanitarian zone and "Gaza Riviera," pushing the residents of Gaza to emigrate through killings and starvation.

Additionally, Trump has exerted pressure on Arab leaders, first by preventing their support for Gaza, and even coaxing some to side with the occupation in the genocide war, contributing to the blockade, and criminalizing solidarity with Gaza, while urging Arab leaders to normalize relations with the occupation without conditions or under hollow conditions such as "the promise of preparing a horizon for negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state" or "normalization in exchange for stopping the genocide war."

Trump has also urged the president of Israel and its judicial system to issue a pardon for Netanyahu regarding bribery and corruption cases.

Punishing personalities and institutions advocating for the prosecution of war criminals, such as Francesca Albanese, the Italian lawyer specialized in international law, who has served since 2022 as the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Territories since 1967.

In her reports, Albanese calls for ending the occupation, not merely managing it.

She has urged countries worldwide to halt arms exports to Israel due to the occupation's egregious violations against civilians. She has repeatedly described the occupation as an apartheid system. She has also stated that what is happening in Gaza may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Albanese's significance lies in her position and platform, which provide a boost to supporters of the Palestinian cause from all over the world, especially Europeans and Americans.

Due to her courageous stand, Albanese is continually attacked by pro-Israel lobbies, which are demanding her removal from her position to silence this free voice.

Trump has imposed financial sanctions against her, and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio described her as anti-Semitic and supportive of terrorism, claiming she leads a political and economic war against America and Israel. This underscores the importance of her nomination for this award, although there might be some questions regarding the fairness of awarding it at times.

Currently, there is a popular campaign supporting Francesca Albanese's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, which gathers increasing popular support and rising endorsements daily from various segments, movements, associations, parties, peoples, and countries.

In addition to Albanese’s nomination, there are those who associate the proposal to award her with a partnership with medical teams in Gaza, where around 1,600 including doctors, nurses, and paramedics have been killed, over 310 have been arrested and subjected to abuse and torture.

Whether Albanese and the Palestinian medical teams receive the Nobel Peace Prize or not, their nomination carries a powerful message to the enemies of peace and war criminals, as well as to lovers of peace, justice, and freedom, that no matter how loud the voice of thuggery, crime, and organized terrorism becomes, humanity still exists and is capable of saving and protecting itself.