Queen Rania al Abdullah defended the spate of anti-Israel protests happening on US college campuses, stating that the students involved simply want peace and justice. She argued against labelling the protesters as pro-Hamas or antisemitic, asserting that many are thoughtful individuals who are protesting for justice. Despite concerns from lawmakers about antisemitic incidents on campuses, Queen Rania believes it is unfair to paint all protesters with the same brush, pointing out that many Jewish students are also involved and the majority want peaceful protests.
As a Palestinian, Queen Rania has been vocal in her criticism of the Israel-Hamas war, which began last October following a surprise attack by Hamas that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. She acknowledged the surge in antisemitism and called for Muslims around the world to take a stand against it. Queen Rania argued that Islamophobia and antisemitism are interconnected, and Muslims need to actively fight against both forms of bigotry. She emphasized the importance of distinguishing criticism of Israeli policies from antisemitism.
Queen Rania expressed concern over the deteriorating relations between Jordan and Israel, particularly in the context of Israel’s ongoing military operation in the city of Rafah. The city, home to 1.5 million Palestinian refugees, has been heavily impacted by Israel’s bombing campaign. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the operation in Rafah until Hamas is eliminated. Queen Rania warned that an invasion of Rafah could strain Jordan’s relationship with Israel but emphasized that Jordan is committed to honoring its peace agreements.
Despite President Biden’s warnings to Israel about entering Rafah without a solid plan for civilian safety, Queen Rania was doubtful that Israel would heed the advice. She called on the international community, including the US, to use its political leverage to compel Israel to end the war and allow aid to reach those in need. Queen Rania emphasized the importance of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and preventing further harm to civilians in Gaza. She urged for a more coordinated effort from allies to pressure Israel to bring an end to the violence.
In her interview, Queen Rania highlighted the need to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia, both of which are on the rise globally. She stressed that criticizing Israeli policy should not be misconstrued as antisemitism, as it is important to differentiate between legitimate criticism and hateful rhetoric. Queen Rania called for Muslims to take a leading role in fighting against antisemitism and emphasized the interconnected nature of bigotry towards different religious and ethnic groups. She urged for greater awareness and action to tackle these forms of discrimination and hatred in order to promote peace and understanding.
