Jordan’s Queen Rania, hailing from Palestinian heritage, has castigated western leaders for what she perceives as a “blatant double standard” in their failure to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza. She lambasted these nations for their reluctance to support a comprehensive ceasefire, asserting that their silence implies complicity in Israel’s Gaza offensive.
Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Queen Rania conveyed the profound shock and disappointment felt by people throughout the Middle East, including Jordan, regarding the world’s response to the unfolding catastrophe. She highlighted the stark contrast between the swift and unequivocal support the world extended to Israel’s right to self-defense when Hamas initiated a rampage on October 7, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 people, primarily civilians. In contrast, the world’s silence has been conspicuous in the face of Israel’s relentless airstrikes, which, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, have claimed the lives of 6,546 individuals, predominantly civilians, including many children.
Furthermore, Israel has imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, home to 2.4 million residents, who are now grappling with a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis, as indicated by the United Nations. Queen Rania poignantly asked, “Are we to understand that it is deemed wrong to kill an entire family at gunpoint but acceptable to shell them to death?”
While numerous western governments have publicly expressed their support for Israel, they have also called on Israel to adhere to international law. Queen Rania voiced her concerns about the west’s refusal to endorse a ceasefire, asserting that “the silence is deafening” and, from the perspective of many in the region, implies complicity through unwavering support for Israel.
Calls for a blanket ceasefire have been met with resistance by Israel and its allies, with the White House contending that such a move would exclusively benefit Hamas. Last week, the United States vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution seeking a “humanitarian pause” in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, citing the text’s failure to acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has decried the “epic suffering” witnessed in Gaza, highlighting “clear violations of international law.” Guterres stirred controversy when he asserted that the Hamas attack “did not happen in a vacuum,” a sentiment shared by Queen Rania. She emphasized that the conflict’s roots extend far beyond October 7, characterizing it as a 75-year-old narrative of extensive death and displacement of the Palestinian people, marked by an occupation under an apartheid regime. In support of her argument, Queen Rania referenced international human rights organizations that have previously accused Israel of practicing apartheid.
Israel has rebuffed claims of apartheid, countering with assertions of being a democracy committed to international law.
