'Middle East's Diana' Queen of Jordan on CNN: "Israel-Palestine War, Western Double Standards"

Interview with CNN... "Western Silence Shocking to the Arab World" Claims

As civilian casualties surge due to Israel's large-scale airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Queen Rania of Jordan (53) criticized the West for having a "blinding double standard," condemning Hamas's attacks while turning a blind eye to Israel's counterattacks in Gaza. Queen Rania is a Palestinian Arab of Kuwaiti origin.

In an interview with CNN on the 24th (local time), she pointed out that world leaders did not call for a ceasefire despite the "indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip," asking, "Is it wrong to shoot a family with a gun but okay to kill them with shells?"

Queen Rania, wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan, who visited Italy in March 2019.
[Photo by Reuters/Yonhap]

She continued, "When the events of October 7th (the Hamas surprise attack on Israel) occurred, the international community immediately and clearly sided with Israel and condemned the attack carried out by Hamas," adding, "But what we have witnessed over the past two weeks is the silence of the international community."

Israel has blockaded the Gaza Strip since Hamas, the Palestinian armed faction, launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on the 7th. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that over 1,400 people were killed and about 200 were taken hostage in the Hamas attack. With Gaza under blockade, residents are struggling to receive essential supplies such as food and water.

Queen Rania emphasized, "It is wrong to kill an entire family with the barrel of a gun, but is it okay to annihilate them with bombings? I want to say that there is a clear 'double standard' here. This is shocking to the Arab world."

She added, "Many in the Arab world believe that the Western world is complicit by supporting and shielding Israel," and "They see the West not just condoning but abetting this." She stressed that the people of Jordan are united in grief.

[Photo by Queen Rania YouTube]

Earlier, King Abdullah II of Jordan also expressed at the Cairo peace conference held on the 21st, "We are angry and saddened by the violence against innocent civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel," and criticized, "The ruthless bombing ongoing in the Gaza Strip is cruel and unconscionable in every respect."

Jordan, where Sunni Muslims constitute the majority of the population, shares borders with Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria, and has a large Palestinian population.

Known as the "Diana of the Middle East" for her sophisticated fashion sense, Queen Rania married then-Prince Abdullah II in 1993. Born in Kuwait, she majored in business administration at the American University in Cairo (AUC) in Egypt and is known for her work in Apple's marketing department in Jordan.

Meanwhile, the armed conflict between the two sides, triggered by Hamas's surprise attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, has surpassed two weeks. However, in the United States, where Israel holds significant influence, calls for a ceasefire remain limited. Voices for a "humanitarian (military) pause" are emerging mainly through the United Nations and other international bodies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.