In a recent interview on "Face the Nation," Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan expressed concerns about the United States' role in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. She described how Palestinians and others in the Middle East perceive the U.S. as an "enabler" of Israel's actions in the war.

Queen Rania highlighted Israeli officials' claims that without U.S. support, they would not be able to launch this war against Hamas. She argued that this perception has led people to view the U.S. as a party to the conflict. The queen, who is of Palestinian descent, criticized the U.S. and other countries for selectively applying humanitarian law, which she believes has caused a loss of credibility.

As a long-standing U.S. ally with a peace treaty with Israel since 1994, Queen Rania emphasized the importance of holding friends accountable. She pointed out that while the U.S. has expressed concern over civilian deaths in Gaza, it has also provided offensive weapons to Israel that are used against Palestinians. According to Queen Rania, this mixed message from the U.S. sends confusing signals to the international community.

The queen called on the international community to use its leverage to pressure Israel to allow aid into Gaza and bring an end to the war. She suggested that the U.S. could play a significant role by declaring it will no longer provide offensive weapons to Israel. Queen Rania stressed the devastating toll the conflict has taken on the Arab world, describing how Gaza has become unrecognizable over the last seven months.

While acknowledging the trauma caused by the October 7 terrorist attack that instigated the war, Queen Rania criticized Israel's defensive claim, arguing that the way it is being fought is not in a defensive manner. She also made it clear that Hamas does not represent the majority of people in Gaza, and Palestinians have been dehumanized by Israel over the decades, creating a mental loophole that allows unjustifiable actions to be rationalized.

Despite speaking out against the war in Gaza and Israeli policy, Queen Rania condemned antisemitism, calling it the worst kind of bigotry and pure hatred. She emphasized the importance of distinguishing between criticism of the conflict and hatred towards a particular religious or ethnic group.

This interview with Queen Rania comes at a crucial time, as President Biden is set to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan this week. Additionally, the Biden administration faces a deadline to provide Congress with a determination of whether Israel is using American weapons in accordance with international law in the coming days.