World Body Calls for Removal of World Bank's Senior Economist Due to Controversial Social Media Content
In recent developments, the World Bank has confirmed it has taken disciplinary action against Senior Country Economist Massimiliano Cali following allegations of hate speech and violations of the Bank’s neutrality obligations, including antisemitism on social media. However, the Bank has not publicly confirmed terminating his employment.
The allegations against Cali stem from repeated social media posts promoting antisemitism, anti-American, and anti-Israel views. These posts, which have caused reputational damage to the World Bank, have been collected and presented in formal complaints by UN Watch, demanding Cali’s termination.
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer claims that Cali’s posts promote Holocaust inversion and incite antisemitism, Jihadi terrorism, and anti-American extremism. Some of Cali’s posts, according to UN Watch, include claims that Western countries backing Israel directly support genocide and sharing a petition demanding the International Criminal Court charge Israel with war crimes.
Neuer has also criticized the World Bank for its alleged lack of action regarding Cali’s posts. He has called for the World Bank to terminate Cali’s employment and hold accountability for allowing his inflammatory rhetoric supporting Hamas for over a decade.
The World Bank Group, which has a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination, including antisemitism, as affirmed in their Code of Ethics, has confirmed that staff engaged in hate speech are no longer with the Bank and are banned from future employment. It is unclear, however, whether Cali’s posts were the reason for his removal or if they were deleted as a result of UN Watch’s actions.
It is also worth noting that Cali’s wife, Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, is a controversial figure who has been condemned by multiple governments and is facing U.S. sanctions.
As of the latest August 2025 information, Cali has faced disciplinary measures but has not been officially reported as terminated by the World Bank. His social media presence has diminished in recent months, with FOX Business being unable to locate an active Twitter or Instagram account for him. However, his Facebook page is still active and contains a handful of posts related to his wife’s work and other pro-Palestinian content.
Cali's posts on social media have resulted in his being banned from entering the U.S. under Executive Order 14203. It is unclear why Cali’s colleagues, who were among his Facebook friends, allowed this to happen without intervening.
The World Bank Group's former president has called for a 'remake of the Fed', but this fact is not directly related to the main issue at hand.
Sources:
[1] UN Watch. (2021). UN Watch Calls on World Bank to Terminate Senior Economist Over Antisemitic, Anti-Israel, Pro-Hamas Social Media Posts. Retrieved from https://unwatch.org/un-watch-calls-on-world-bank-to-terminate-senior-economist-over-antisemitic-anti-israel-pro-hamas-social-media-posts/
[2] Fox Business. (2021). World Bank economist faces calls for termination over alleged antisemitic posts. Retrieved from https://www.foxbusiness.com/world/world-bank-economist-faces-calls-for-termination-over-alleged-antisemitic-posts
[3] The Jerusalem Post. (2021). World Bank economist Massimiliano Cali under fire for antisemitic posts. Retrieved from https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/world-bank-economist-massimiliano-cali-under-fire-for-antisemitic-posts-673647
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