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We speak to Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, about Israel’s continued impunity from international law. Despite an International Criminal Court warrant out for his arrest, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the White House to meet with President Donald Trump. While the United States is not a member state to the ICC, “It doesn’t mean that they have to extend protection to a fugitive from international law,” says Albanese, who joins widespread international calls for Netanyahu’s arrest. “The United States is actively contributing to make the international criminal law architecture that it has been building, from the Nuremberg trials up until now, crumble on our head.”

Albanese also comments on settler- and soldier-led “pogroms” in the occupied West Bank and calls out the complicity of the governments of Greece, Italy and France, which, despite being party to the ICC, authorized Netanyahu’s travel through their airspaces. “It looks small in the context of a genocide, but every action matters, as every crime matters and will be accounted for,” she says.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Anjali Kamat, longtime Democracy Now! producer, who’s back with us after many years producing and co-hosting. Welcome, Anjali.

ANJALI KAMAT: I’m delighted to be back. Thank you. And welcome to all our viewers and listeners from across the country and around the world.

Nearly Half of Americans Say US Should Arrest Netanyahu Ahead of Trump Meeting

President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House Tuesday for their first meeting since the two nations jointly attacked Iran five months ago. Trump and Netanyahu met for 90 minutes, but they did not appear together to make public comments. Netanyahu posted a short video after the meeting.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [translated] I just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump. When I say “excellent,” it’s not just lip service — a conversation with full partnership, mutual support, understanding of the common goal, to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals, as well. This is one of the best conversations I have had with the president of the United States, our friend, President Donald Trump.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: [translated] I just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump. When I say “excellent,” it’s not just lip service — a conversation with full partnership, mutual support, understanding of the common goal, to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals, as well. This is one of the best conversations I have had with the president of the United States, our friend, President Donald Trump.

AMY GOODMAN: After their meeting, both Trump and Netanyahu attended the funeral of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Meanwhile, protesters in Washington gathered near the White House to condemn Netanyahu’s visit. This is an Iranian American activist named Bita.

BITA: And he is the reason for the illegal war that has started on my homeland of Iran, that is also currently being bombarded. And every time he comes to visit, our people, our countries get bombarded again. And we are here to make sure that our voices are heard and he knows that we don’t want him here. He is not welcome here. We know that he’s a war criminal. We want bombs to stop falling on our people.

BITA: And he is the reason for the illegal war that has started on my homeland of Iran, that is also currently being bombarded. And every time he comes to visit, our people, our countries get bombarded again. And we are here to make sure that our voices are heard and he knows that we don’t want him here. He is not welcome here. We know that he’s a war criminal. We want bombs to stop falling on our people.

ANJALI KAMAT: Netanyahu’s visit comes as Israel is escalating its military operations in the occupied West Bank, where there’s been a surge in settler violence. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he’s ordered the IDF to take over a fourth refugee camp in the West Bank and expel its Palestinian residents. Israel is also continuing to carry out deadly attacks in Gaza, where a severe humanitarian crisis is unceasing. The Trump administration allowed Netanyahu into the United States even though the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re joined now by a top U.N. official who’s been barred from visiting the United States due to her public criticism of Israel. Francesca Albanese is the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory. She’s been under sweeping U.S.........

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