In a candid interview with renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour on the American news channel CNN, Queen Rania of Jordan has voiced her concerns regarding what she sees as glaring double standards among Western leaders in their failure to condemn the killing of Palestinian civilians who are suffering under Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Queen Rania Al Abdullah, wife of Jordanian King Abdullah II-Source: X
The queen noted that the people across the Middle East, including Jordan, have been shocked and disappointed by the world’s response to the unfolding catastrophe. She lamented that over the past two weeks, they have witnessed a stark contrast in global reactions.
“When the events of October 7th occurred, the world immediately stood firmly beside Israel, asserting its right to self-defense and condemning the attack that took place. However, in the past two weeks, we have observed a global silence,” Queen Rania stated.
She pointed out the grim statistics of the humanitarian crisis, stating, “Six thousand civilians, including 2,400 children, have lost their lives so far. How can this be considered self-defense? We are witnessing wide-scale massacres with the use of high-precision weapons. In the past weeks, we have seen indiscriminate shelling in Gaza. Entire families have been wiped out, residential areas razed to the ground, and hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, medical personnel, journalists, and UN relief workers targeted. How can this be construed as self-defense?”
Queen Rania emphasized that this marks the first time in modern history that such a humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and yet the world has not even called for a ceasefire.
In a world exclusive, @QueenRania of Jordan spoke with me about the ongoing bombing of Gaza, civilian deaths, the massacres of October 7, and what she calls “a glaring double standard” in the west’s reaction to all this. Watch our full conversation. pic.twitter.com/68QUO3Vez9
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) October 24, 2023
She continued, “So, silence falls on deaf ears, and for many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit in what is happening. Are we being told that it’s wrong to shoot an entire family, but acceptable to shell them to death? There are glaring double standards here, and it is shocking to the Arab world.”
Discussing the suffering of the Palestinian people, Queen Rania highlighted, “There are over 500 checkpoints scattered across the West Bank.” She stressed that Israel is in violation of at least 30 UN resolutions that call for its withdrawal from the territories occupied since 1967, the cessation of settlements, the removal of the separation barrier, and the respect of human rights.
Furthermore, she pointed out that Israel has been classified as an “apartheid regime” by Israeli and international human rights organizations.
The queen noted that Israel’s allies are not serving its interests by providing it with extensive lethal weaponry. She argued, “Expediting and expanding the provision of lethal arms to Israel will only lead to the escalation of this conflict. It will only prolong and deepen the suffering.”
Queen Rania also addressed the suppression of solidarity demonstrations with Palestinians in Western democracies. She pointed out that when people gather to support Israel, they are exercising their right to assemble. However, when they come together for Palestine, they are often labeled as sympathizers of terrorists or anti-Semites.
She concluded, “Freedom of expression is a universal value, except when it mentions Palestine.”
In a world grappling with the complexities of the Gaza crisis, Queen Rania’s words shed light on the need for consistent and impartial responses to humanitarian tragedies, regardless of the political context. This interview adds another perspective to the ongoing debate about the situation in the Middle East and the global response to it.
