Dubai’s Princess Haya Speaks Out on Gaza Attacks

The wife of the ruler of Dubai – and the half sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, Princess Haya, spoke out against Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Haya, who rarely speaks to the press, wrote an opinion piece for Asharq Alawsat, an English language Arabic newspaper, and was interviewed by the Associated Press about the attacks, now in its second week.

“These armed acts of violence were followed by a unified condemnation by world leaders, politicians, humanitarians and the general public all calling for an immediate halt to the aggression,” the Princess wrote in Asharq Alawsat.

“These voices, especially those that come from globally powerful countries, are yet to take a strong unified stand to end the violence which is claiming the lives of innocent people who, unlike others who are suffering in conflict areas around the world, do not even have the luxury to escape violence and seek refuge elsewhere.”

Haya pleaded with the international community to halt the fighting and allow humanitarian workers in to deliver medicine and food.

A wife of Dubai’s ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and a daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein, Haya is a vocal advocate of humanitarian causes. She is a UN Messenger of Peace.

She called the almost two week long Israeli offensive to rout out Hamas group a “slaughter.”

“This is a war that will scare our planet for generations to come,” Haya said in the exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “It’s a slaughter in its simplest form … a new open wound on the region, that is key to world’s peace. Violence on all sides has to stop.”

Israel has said it must defend itself against the militants who have been lobbying rockets on southern Israeli towns. Since the offensive began Dec 27, the fighting has killed at least 748 Palestinians and 12 Israelis.

Princess Haya defended the Gazans in a passionate plea in her editorial in Asharg Alawsat.

“Who will give Palestinians the right to defend themselves? Who will consider this defense argument convincing? We live in times when justice is no longer measured as it used to be. Power has become the only measurement. And if we do not take a united stand we will lose our humanity which is the basis of our existence and the source of hope for all of us. What is happening today is a crime against humanity, and one day history will judge us for allowing this to happen.”

The Princess’s father, the late King Hussein of Jordan, signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1994. Her half-brother, King Abdullah II worked on the peace process between Israel and Palestinians. But recently, he called the offensive a “conspiracy” against the Palestinians.

Even Haya herself seems helpless with what is happening in Gaza.

“I wish I could talk of peace,” she said to the AP. “But all I am able to ask for is survival for people facing certain death.”

“I know peace is possible, if there is political will.”