抖阴短视频

DUBAI: Although the previous administration of US President-elect Donald Trump was seen as a staunch ally of Israel, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Palestine鈥檚 minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates, says Palestinians remain hopeful about his return to the White House.

In large part this is due to a perception that the international climate surrounding the issue of Palestinian statehood is fundamentally different to that which prevailed during Trump鈥檚 last administration, owed in large part to events in Gaza and the resulting wave of solidarity.

鈥淚 have to be hopeful. We have to remain hopeful,鈥� said Aghabekian Shahin during an appearance on the Arab News current affairs program 鈥淔ranking Speaking,鈥� a week after President-elect Trump secured a powerful mandate in a deeply polarized US election race.

Her optimism, however, is tempered by the decades of frustration that Palestinians have felt under Israeli occupation. 鈥淲hat we have been hoping for, as always, is a Palestinian state with our sovereignty and our self-determination,鈥� she told 鈥淔rankly Speaking鈥� host Katie Jensen.

While Trump鈥檚 first term was marked by controversial moves such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel鈥檚 capital and relocating the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, Aghabekian Shahin believes there remains a possibility for change.

鈥淲ith the incoming president in the United States, our hope remains the same. We hope President Trump will take a more balanced approach ... and put on his agenda the rights of the Palestinians.鈥�

During his last administration, Trump championed normalization agreements between Arab states and Israel under the Abraham Accords. However, Aghabekian Shahin says 鈥減eace will not be sustainable if Palestinians鈥� rights are not taken into consideration.鈥�

In contrast with the period coinciding with Trump鈥檚 last administration, Aghabekian Shahin says there is now a global momentum behind Palestinian statehood, catalyzed by shifting alliances and growing public outrage over Israeli actions in Gaza.

鈥淚 think times today are different than they were a couple years ago,鈥� said Aghabekian Shahin. 

鈥淭he ongoing genocide in Gaza, the mounting pressure and dissatisfaction all over capitals in Europe 鈥� and the coalition today led by 抖阴短视频 on the materialization of the state of Palestine 鈥� these are new dimensions that cannot be ignored.鈥�

Israel鈥檚 military campaign in Gaza came in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,200 and saw 250 taken hostage. The conflict in the tiny Palestinian enclave has resulted in more than 43,700 dead and 1.9 million displaced.

International criticism of the scale of destruction in Gaza has intensified over the past year, with many questioning Israel鈥檚 adherence to international law. Israeli leaders could face war crimes charges before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

One positive to emerge from the conflict is renewed interest in the long-dormant effort to achieve the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital living peacefully alongside Israel.

Lauding 抖阴短视频鈥檚 diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, Aghabekian Shahin said a new international coalition spearheaded by the Kingdom to help expedite the two-state solution represented a source of hope for Palestinians.

This ambition was given further weight by the joint summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that took place in the Saudi capital on Nov. 11, during which the leaders of 57 Arab and Islamic countries called on Israel to negotiate an end to the decades-old conflict.

鈥湺兑醵淌悠� has been extremely important for aid and its support to the Palestinian people,鈥� said Aghabekian Shahin. 鈥淭he summit that was held in Riyadh is a very important message. Fifty-seven countries were present in the meeting, with clear decisions and a focus on ending the occupation.鈥�

抖阴短视频 has explicitly linked the normalization of ties with Israel to progress on Palestinian statehood. Aghabekian Shahin said this position is 鈥渁 very important step and something that pushes forward and brings a lot of hope to the Palestinian people.鈥�

During the recent joint summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described Israel鈥檚 actions in Gaza as genocide, marking the first occasion that a Saudi official had publicly done so. Nevertheless, there are still several nations, including many of Israel鈥檚 Western allies, who have avoided using the term.

While acknowledging the scale of human suffering in Gaza, Aghabekian Shahin said the precise terminology is less important than addressing the atrocities that are taking place.

鈥淓ven if 300,000 people are killed in Gaza, God forbidding, some countries will not call it a genocide,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat is happening is a humanitarian catastrophe. ... Governments and people are more and more realizing that these atrocities cannot continue.鈥�

Asked whether Hamas bears responsibility for triggering the carnage that has befallen Gaza, Aghabekian Shahin did not condemn the Palestinian militant group outright, focusing instead on the underlying conditions that have fueled the cycle of violence.

鈥淲ho takes the blame first and foremost is the belligerent occupation that has been suffocating Palestinian lives over seven decades,鈥� she said. 鈥淕azans were living in an open-air prison鈥� When people as human beings are cornered and they don鈥檛 see a light at the end of the tunnel, then obviously violence erupts.鈥�

Despite the grim reality of the situation and the intense animosity between the warring sides, Aghabekian Shahin underscored the importance of diplomacy and adherence to international law to resolve the conflict.

鈥淎ny violence perpetrated by any side is unacceptable,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to put violence aside and resort to mechanisms that will bring us closer to our liberation as per international law.鈥�

This commitment to seeking peaceful solutions aligns with Aghabekian Shahin鈥檚 extensive background in academia, human rights advocacy, and as a veteran member of the Palestinian negotiations unit.

Before her ministerial appointment in April, she served in various roles, including as director of the Capacity and Institutional Building Project at the Office of the Palestinian President and commissioner-general of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights.

A member of Jerusalem鈥檚 Armenian community, Aghabekian Shahin has witnessed firsthand the pressures faced by minority groups in the city. She highlights the significance of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City, which has come under growing threat by far-right Jewish settlers.

鈥淭he land in question is invaluable,鈥� she said, referring to a bitter ongoing legal dispute between the Armenian Patriarchate and an Australian-Israeli developer to lease an area of land in the Armenian Quarter to build a luxury hotel.

鈥淭his land is part and parcel of the heritage of the Armenian people for decades in Jerusalem,鈥� said Aghabekian Shahin. 鈥淭he community has a very good team of Israeli lawyers along with international lawyers who are working on the case.鈥�

The Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem鈥檚 Old City has long been a symbol of Armenian identity and presence in the region. Aghabekian Shahin believes its preservation is vital not just for Armenians but for Jerusalem鈥檚 multicultural heritage.  

The flight of Christian communities more broadly from Palestine and the wider Middle East is itself a bellwether of the decline of religious pluralism in the region. Aghabekian Shahin attributes this trend to the hardships of living under occupation.

鈥淧eople are sick and tired of occupation,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey want a better future for their children. This better future cannot happen under occupation鈥� With an end of occupation, there is an economic horizon and a future that people can look to.鈥�

As Palestinians await clarity on the global stage, Aghabekian Shahin remains resolute. 鈥淲hat we hope for today is what we have always hoped for 鈥� a sovereign Palestinian state living in peace next to Israel.鈥�  

The stakes are high, however, not only for Palestinians but for the broader Middle East, where peace remains elusive. Aghabekian Shahin believes the next US administration will have to address the root causes of the conflict.  

鈥淲ithout justice for Palestinians, there will be no sustainable peace.鈥�