Jordan’s Queen Rania has lambasted global silence on Israel’s ongoing massacres in Gaza and the world’s double standards in their media coverage, as she called Israel an occupier.
Speaking to Christiane Amanpour in an interview on CNN on Tuesday, she pointed to countries' quick and vocal solidarity with Israel and condemnation of Hamas's surprise attack on 7 October, but silence over Israel’s ruthless and indiscriminate retaliation against the Gaza Strip - which international organisations have said is "collective punishment" and could constitute a war crime.
The Jordanian royal – whose country has shared diplomatic ties with Israel since 1994 - said nations were prefacing their criticism of Israel's brutality in Gaza with a declaration of support for Israel. Queen Rania added that through the eyes of many in the region, the Western world was tolerating Israel’s devastating onslaught on Gaza, as well as "aiding and abetting it".
When asked about her reaction to Hamas's 7 October attack, Queen Rania condemned the killing of any civilian – but questioned why the world supported Israel’s so-called right to self-defence and not the Palestinians' right to resistance.
She went on to blast Israel’s violation of international law and the suffering it has inflicted on the Palestinian people, saying that the world was missing context and ignoring the history of Palestine. Queen Rania was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and has been recognised by Forbes magazine as one of the world's most powerful women.
Produced by Reem Khabbazy
