The Alinker

Queen Rania of Jordan was interviewed by @amanpour today, and I have posted the entire interview along with some summary notes. As a student of Jordanian history, I have watched hundreds of interviews with Queen Rania over the last two decades; I have never seen her so frustrated. In this interview, she is deeply critical of Western nations that have remained silent on what is happening in Gaza. She calls Israel an apartheid regime and says there is a hyper fixation on Hamas in the context of what Palestinians have gone through for 70 years. Summary Notes: The world's reaction [to what Israel is doing in Gaza] shocked people in the Middle East and Jordan. There is a glaring double standard. After October 7, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and condemned the attacks. But we are seeing silence in the world when it comes to Gaza. Countries have stopped expressing concern but always declare support for Israel. Are we being told that killing an entire family at gunpoint (referring to Hamas in Israel) is wrong, but it's okay to shell them to death (referring to Israel bombing Gaza)? There has been so much suffering, and the world is silent. In our world (Arab/Middle East), it's made the Western world complicit. When asked by Christiane how she reacted to the October 7 attacks on Israelis, Queen Rania said, of course, I was shocked; we condemn the killing of any civilian. Why isn't there equal condemnation now [of what's happening in Gaza]? This conflict did not begin on October 7. For many Palestinians, war has never left. This is a 75-year-old story of overwhelming death and displacement under an apartheid regime that occupies the land. It's not about being pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian. Palestinian people have been living too long under oppression. They do not have freedom of movement. There's a hyper-fixation on Hamas. This is a problem that long proceeds Hamas. Asked if she believes that Hamas has brought this war down on Gazans, is Hamas responsible for it? Queen Rania says every country has a right to defend itself, but not through collective punishment or war crimes. Why is when Israel does this, it's self-defense, but when Palestinians do it, it's called terrorism? One is the occupier; one is the occupied. One has a military, the other one doesn't. Why is the Israeli narrative always prioritized? On October 7, the actions were called "savagery barbaric." We are not seeing the atrocities in Palestine described in the same way. She says President Biden mentioned that he saw 40 beheaded babies and retracted that. She criticizes CNN for its coverage, but Christiane pushes back. Queen Rania then expresses frustration that every Arab is asked on television to present their moral credentials, with questions like "Do you condemn Hamas?" I've never seen a Western official say, "Palestinians have a right to defend themselves."