Jordan’s Queen Rania criticises West's 'double standards' over war in Gaza

Queen describes difference between treatment of people in Ukraine and Gaza as 'dehumanising'

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Jordan's Queen Rania has spoken out against the disparity of the treatment people in Gaza are receiving from the West compared with the people of Ukraine.

Speaking at the end of an economic conference in Italy, she used the platform to highlight the plight of people in Gaza.

Addressing the 50th European House Ambrosetti Forum, in Cernobbio, she said that despite the establishment of several global institutions in the aftermath of 20th century conflicts in Europe, many people around the world are struggling to maintain belief in their integrity and impartiality.

“The people of the world deserve a global system they can trust, free of prejudice, moral loopholes and deadly blind spots. And trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people,” she said.

“From the United Nations to the International Court of Justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past, a future based on the values of the UN Charter: peace, justice and human rights. Looking at Israel’s war in Gaza, they see a glaring double standard or, worse yet, a seeming abdication of any standards at all.”

She questioned the way the West has supported Ukraine compared with Gaza.

“What is the Global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented collective punishment? What conclusions are people to draw about who matters, who doesn't, and why?” she said.

“More than hypocritical, the double standard is dehumanising. It is cruel. And if it isn't racist, I don't know what is. That's why rejecting double standards, demanding accountability, and finding a common path to peace is necessary to create the future that Palestinians, Israelis, and all of us deserve.”

She highlighted how Gaza is facing acute food insecurity and denounced Israeli obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries. More than 40,900 Palestinians have been killed since October last year, health authorities in the enclave said. The war began after Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel last October, killing 1,200 people.