Queen Rania's Interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson

QUEEN RANIA: There has to be a collective call for a ceasefire. And I know that some who are against a ceasefire argue that it will help Hamas. However, I feel that in that argument, they are inherently dismissing the death – in fact, even endorsing and justifying the death – of thousands of civilians, and that is just morally reprehensible. It is also shortsighted and not entirely rational.

Because, as I've said before, if you manage to eliminate all of Hamas, what next? The root cause of this conflict is an illegal occupation. It is routine human rights abuses, illegal settlements, disregard to UN resolutions and international law. If we do not address these root causes, then you can kill the combatant, but you cannot kill the cause. So on the rubble of these destroyed buildings will emerge another group more determined, and more motivated to do what Hamas did.

So I think Israel needs to once and for all realize that if it wants its security, the surest route is through peace. Not the strongest military or the most capable intelligence services, or the Iron Dome, or the Separation Wall, will safeguard Israel's security as much as peace would. And I think that is the track that we need to pursue now.

BECKY ANDERSON: US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Jordan over the weekend. He said that Israel has every right to defend itself within the rules of war in order to ensure what happened on October 7 never happens again…

QUEEN RANIA: If we want to make sure that we never have to be in this situation, again, we have to ask ourselves how we got there. If violence stood between Palestinians and a better future, then they themselves will fight against this violence. I just want to give you one simple fact. After the Oslo Accords in 1993, in 1996, a poll was taken and it showed that 80% of Palestinians supported the accords and support for violent resistance dropped to 20%. So if Palestinians had a political horizon, they themselves would be against any form of violence, but they need to be given that prospect.

BECKY ANDERSON: How concerned are you about the civilian death toll and worsening humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza, and what genuine intent do you see Israel taking to reduce causalities?

QUEEN RANIA: Well, look Becky, I cannot begin to describe the scale and the scope of the catastrophic humanitarian situation that we are seeing. It is absolutely unprecedented. And it's been unbearable to watch the avalanche of human suffering that we're seeing. Almost 10,000 deaths, almost half of them are children. And if you just put that in perspective, over the last four weeks in Gaza, eight times more children were killed than the 20 months of the Ukraine War. UNICEF has called Gaza the graveyard for children. And you know, these are not just numbers. Each one of these children was somebody's everything.

There's an acronym in Gaza, W.C.N.S.F.: Wounded Child with No Surviving Family. That's an acronym that should never exist, but it does exist in Gaza.

You know, I think the world is just screaming: How many more people have to die before our global conscience awakes? Or is it forever dormant when it comes to the Palestinians?

BECKY ANDERSON: The Israelis insist they are doing their best to protect citizens. Yet they say Hamas uses citizens as human shields and cites what it says are numerous examples of the terror group using human shields in this current conflict. What do you make of that?

QUEEN RANIA: Well, look, after over 10,000 people killed, 70% of whom are women and children, for the Israelis to claim that they are trying to protect citizens? Honestly, it's an insult to one's intelligence. When 1.1 million people are asked to leave their homes or risk death, that is not protection of civilians. That is forced displacement. And UN agencies and other agencies have said that there is no safe place in Gaza. And even the areas that they have asked people to seek refuge in, those so-called “safe zones,” they have been attacked as well. And never mind that evacuation orders are sent online or on television, knowing that there is no electricity in Gaza since the beginning of this war. These evacuation orders, I do not believe are for the benefit of the Gaza civilians. They are not the target audience; the rest of the world is. It is Israel's attempt to try to legitimize their actions.

And when it comes to human shields, I think we need to defer to international law. Of course, the use of human shields is criminal. But even if one side puts a civilian in harm's way, that civilian is still entitled to full protection under international humanitarian law. That is the global standard, and no nation is exempt. So, before firing any bullet, before dropping any bomb, it is the responsibility of the nation to weigh the risk to civilian life. And if that risk is disproportionate to the to the military target, then it is deemed unlawful.

And frankly, I find it really outrageous when Israeli officials audaciously dismiss Palestinian casualties as human shields. In a place like Jabaliya, which is one of the most crowded corners of Gaza – Gaza being one of the most densely populated spots on Earth – civilian death is not incidental, it is not accidental. It is a foregone conclusion, and that makes it a war crime.

BECKY ANDERSON: Queen Rania, we are seeing a significant rise in anti-Semitism in the US, particularly on college campuses. We’ve also seen a significant rise in Islamophobia and attacks on Muslim students. As hate and fear grow, how worried are you, and what can and should be done to bring that temperature down right now?

QUEEN RANIA: I want to absolutely and wholeheartedly condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. It's never okay, it’s never justified, to attack somebody based on their beliefs. But I also want to remind everyone that Israel does not represent all the Jewish people around the world. Israel is a state, and it alone is responsible for its own crimes. Jewish people around the world, many of them are appalled by what they're seeing. And, you know, like you said, Islamophobia is the other side of the same disease. And we Muslims, we have to be the first to condemn antisemitism.

We have had a long history of peaceful coexistence. So this is not about religion. It is about politics. And what we've seen in recent years is the charge of antisemitism being weaponized in order to silence any criticism of Israel. So defenders or supporters of Israel who cannot defend Israel's actions or conduct, they revert to shutting the conversation down by equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Let me be very, very clear, being pro-Palestinian is not being antisemitic. Being pro-Palestinian does not mean you're pro-Hamas or pro-terrorism.

I think Israel deserves more from its allies than just unequivocal support. I think it deserves some uncomfortable truths, because if you are a real friend, you support your friend when they're right. But you also tell them when they've crossed the line.