In a recent interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan made a plea for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing that advocating for the defense of Palestinian civilians is not synonymous with antisemitism or an endorsement of terrorism.
“Supporting Palestinian rights is distinct from antisemitism and should not be conflated with support for Hamas or acts of terrorism,” Queen Rania stated on Sunday.
The Queen also addressed the issue of using accusations of antisemitism to stifle criticism of Israel’s actions. “The misuse of antisemitism accusations to muzzle legitimate critique of Israel must be recognized,” she commented.
In her discussion, Queen Rania firmly denounced both antisemitism and Islamophobia, while also stressing that Israel’s actions are its own and do not represent the entire Jewish community worldwide.
“The state of Israel should solely bear responsibility for its actions, which should not be viewed as reflecting the stance of all Jewish people,” she said.
She criticized the arguments against a ceasefire, suggesting that it implicitly condones civilian casualties. “Opponents of a ceasefire are, in essence, overlooking and implicitly rationalizing the death of civilians, which is ethically indefensible,” Queen Rania remarked.
Queen Rania also challenged the Israeli assertion of prioritizing civilian safety, labeling it as not credible. “The demand for 1.1 million people to evacuate their homes under threat of death cannot be seen as an act of protecting civilians; it’s more akin to coercion,” she explained.
Furthermore, she expressed skepticism about the intention behind Israel’s evacuation orders, suggesting they might be a strategy to justify their military actions, rather than to protect the people of Gaza.
Responding to US President Joe Biden’s doubts about casualty figures released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, Queen Rania attributed it to what she termed “standard Israeli propaganda.”
The Queen accused Israel of attempting to downplay the severe repercussions of their actions and desensitize the international community to the plight of Palestinians.
“The strategy seems to aim at absolving themselves and numbing the global audience to the Palestinian suffering,” she concluded.
