Do not take your eyes off Palestine. As if there was no ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025, Israel has continued and recently intensified attacks on members of the Palestinian Hamas. Only during the five days of Eid al-Adha, 49 people were killed, mostly children and women, and 171 were wounded. In violation of the agreement, Israel continued to severely restrict the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a few days ago Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to increase its control over the territory of Gaza from 53 to 70 percent. In the West Bank, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is increasing equally relentlessly. In this context, Dr. Warsen Agabekian Shahin, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, calls on the signatories to abide by the ceasefire agreement.
During her career, Minister Sahin held senior management positions in higher education, human rights, institutional development and public policy. She is a strong advocate of women's empowerment and their participation in public and political life. She was also Commissioner General of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights. She holds a doctorate in administrative and political studies from the University of Pittsburgh and has had a distinguished academic career at Al-Quds University, in the West Bank, Palestine.
"WEATHER" You are an Armenian Palestinian.. Can you tell us more about the historical presence of Armenians in Palestine?
DR. VARSEN AGHABEKIAN SHAHIN: Armenians have been constantly, continuously present in Palestine for seventeen centuries. Armenia was the first country in the world to officially accept Christianity. Armenian pilgrims came to Palestine in the fourth century and built the first monasteries. Fleeing from their villages in Turkey, several thousand Armenians came to the Middle East, also to Palestine, as refugees in the early 19th century. They mostly settled in Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa. At one point in the past, there were nearly 15.000 Armenians in Palestine. With the partition of the country in 1948, many were expelled and became refugees again. They fled to Lebanon and Jordan, later to Cyprus and scattered in different parts of the world. Today, fewer than 2.000 Armenians live in Palestine, mostly in East Jerusalem.
Is there discrimination against Palestinian Armenians??
Yes, discrimination exists. Armenians in Palestine are an integral part of the Palestinian people and their communities. Everything that was imposed on the Palestinians in the last seven decades was inevitably imposed on the Armenians as well. Moreover, the Armenian quarter in East Jerusalem, where the majority of Armenians live, is in close proximity to the Jewish quarter. They are neighbors and therefore Armenians have been exposed to more attacks than other groups. In 2025, there were a total of 150 attacks on Christians, of which 50 were on Armenians.
What does your role entail in strengthening the Christian presence in Palestine??
My role involves showing how the number of Palestinian Christians, including Armenians, is decreasing day by day. Their numbers are very, very small compared to earlier times. Due to the sudden decrease in the number of Christians, there is great concern for the preservation of the beautiful mosaic of three monotheistic faiths that would live in peace and security in Palestine. They leave because it is very difficult to live under an occupation that affects the economy, which, in turn, affects social life. Christians have greater opportunities to immigrate, especially where they have family, and want a better future for their children. Then who will be left the holy places? Should they become museums that are occasionally visited? What is the meaning of the Holy Land, its history and holism without the work of its flock?
What are the current priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine?
First of all, continuing to document and highlight Israel's increasing daily violations of rights in the areas of demography, geography, and economics. The human rights of Palestinians are violated in every aspect, including freedom of movement, education, religion, all of which affect daily life. Second, more and more recognition of Palestine - although about 80 percent of countries have already done so, several, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and of course the US and Israel, have not yet recognized Palestine. Furthermore, we must end the occupation. We talked with the European Union about the suspension of the Association Agreement it has with Israel. The EU itself has admitted that Israel violates Article 2 of the Agreement, which stipulates that human rights and democracy are basic terms of the Agreement. We demand that sanctions be introduced against illegal settlers and settlements established on occupied, stolen land. It is a way to get closer to dismantling the occupation. We must reject the Israeli narrative. The occupation is illegal - a fact recognized worldwide, including by the world's highest legal authority, the International Court of Justice. Since the war in Gaza continues, albeit less brutally, it is necessary for the Peace Committee to become operational, that is, for its provisions to materialize on the ground.
photo: private archiveMinister Shahin and Ambassador Kraisi, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine at the UN Office and Ambassador of Palestine to Switzerland during the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council
What are the current main challenges of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to its priorities?
Challenges include the lack of enforcement of international law. Palestinians are at the forefront of understanding how weak the enforcement of international law is, and when it is enforced, double standards apply. Violations of international law elsewhere have resulted in sanctions. However, when it comes to Israel, other standards are used. Another important challenge is the US veto in the UN Security Council.
According to the Agreement signed in Oslo in the early nineties, Israel was responsible for tax collection in the occupied Palestinian territories, and now withholds billions from the Palestinian Authority. Is the PU still able to function??
PU functions at a minimal level. Israeli banks hold more than US$5,1 billion of Palestinian money, which is 65 percent of PA public expenditures. This has a critical impact on education, health care and the salaries of public servants. It is Israel's strategy to undermine the PU in the eyes of the Palestinians so that it can claim that there is no effective PU.
After the Hamas attack on Israel on 7. October 2023. and Israel's frighteningly disproportionate response, states have provided scant concrete support to the Palestinians. Was the Palestinian Authority surprised by this lack of support?, especially neighboring Arab and Muslim countries?
Some people don't call it that, but for us what happened after October 7 is genocide. At first, the world supported Israel because what happened on October 7 was violent. However, while the genocide was being carried out, many, if not most, countries supported Palestine. Eight Western European countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Spain, recognized Palestine and thus contributed to the further strengthening of its legal status. Humanitarian aid to Gaza soon arrived. In addition to the previous multi-year support to the Palestinian Authority for the period 2025-2027, in 2026 the EU will provide two multi-layered aid packages to the Palestinian territories, especially the West Bank. Israel today is largely isolated.
The PU is not a member of the Peace Committee., nor its Gaza Executive Committee not a single Palestinian sits in these bodies. PU is not even a member of the lowest body of the Board of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The Peace Committee's 20-point peace plan stipulates that the Committee will govern Gaza until the PA is reformed. What reforms are needed and whether PU takes measures to implement them?
The most recent formal 2022 PA Reform Agenda was publicly updated in 2024, not because anyone asked us to do so, but because the Palestinians want reforms. It includes finance, administration, health, education, governance, rule of law, politics and democratization. The latest progress report shows that 72 percent of the planned reforms have been achieved, even in the most difficult financial and political circumstances.
The National Committee has no authority, and he is expected to implement what was decided through the commissioner. Where the US and Israel have right of veto. Through diplomatic channels with the member states of these bodies, does the PU have an influence on any decision made by the Peace Committee or the Gaza Executive Committee?
PU communicates with several members of the Peace Committee who we know will convey our concerns and needs. Many members of the National Committee were employed in PU. A liaison office between the National Committee and the Office of the Prime Minister of PU was established. The Peace Committee and its other bodies are transitional. PU will work within that framework, directly or indirectly it will be involved in issues concerning Gaza. Many issues such as registering a newborn in the population register or school programs will have to be coordinated with the PU.
A comprehensive US plan to end the conflict in Gaza establishes a US-led Peace Committee. If the situation on the ground is taken into account, first of all, barely improved living conditions for Palestinians in Gaza, what the Peace Committee can do to improve the situation? Would some other international mechanism be preferable??
We will support any body or entity that is for peace. The comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza was supposed to stop the bleeding and suffering of civilians in Gaza, that's why we supported it. The plan imposes conditions on all parties and each party must be held accountable in the event of a breach. We emphasize that it is necessary to start with significant aid actions on the ground as soon as possible, let alone with reconstruction. Signatory countries must comply with the Plan, and its guarantors, the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, must act more quickly. The situation on the ground cannot afford the luxury of delay. Most of the population still lives in tents, many are sick due to lack of health care, because of piles of garbage rodents are everywhere, eating people's fingers and toes, people are dying all the time - it's alarming. We are talking to our allies about the Plan and sending messages to the US administration urging them to act much faster as the situation worsens and expectations are high. The US has a stake in the Plan. We are aware that due to the war with Iran, the focus has shifted, but we hope that soon Gaza will again receive the attention it demands and deserves.
Israel conditions any further progress on the complete disarmament of Hamas. Hamas says it will not disarm unless there is a clear commitment to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state. What is your opinion on these views?
The plan clearly states the conditions for Israel's disarmament and withdrawal from Gaza. Both parties signed the Plan, they know what they signed. The Guarantors of the Plan are responsible for ensuring that it is respected.
Is Israel's concern for its own security legitimate and if so, can PU contribute to alleviating this concern, especially considering attack 7. October?
The question facing the international community and Israel today is how they can alleviate the concern of the Palestinians for their survival, which is directly threatened, as well as the insecurity of the Palestinians, which has been increasing for the last 40 years. Since the peace process of the 90s, which included two states that will live side by side in peace and security, there has been a further consolidation of the occupation, more murders of Palestinians, more seizure of their land, more violence, more unjustified detentions. If it wants security, Israel must consider the security of its Palestinian neighbor and not constantly wage war against us and violate our rights.
The issue of Israeli security cannot be discussed without addressing Palestinian security. A genuine peace process is needed to end the occupation and ensure a sovereign Palestinian state living in peace and security with its neighbor Israel.
How about a one-state solution where Israeli Jews and Palestinians would have equal rights?
Any solution that will end the occupation is fine. However, if Israel has difficulty accepting a two-state solution, a one-state solution in which Jews may not be the majority is not an option for them. A two-state solution is currently the only one possible.
How much communication do you have with your Israeli counterpart??
There is no communication with my Israeli colleague. There must be an enabling environment for such a thing, not genocide and unprecedented levels of violence, land confiscation in the West Bank and expulsions in East Jerusalem. We are open to discussion, which is the only way to resolve a problem of this nature. Endless military violence is not. Both sides should have a sincere intention to build peace, but peace is not what Israel wants.
Considering the cruelty with which Israel has treated the Palestinians, do you think peace and coexistence is still possible? Do you still expect the international community to contribute to the achievement of such goals??
We must remain hopeful that we can coexist. We coexisted well 100 years ago - Palestinian Arabs, Muslims, Christians and Jews. This is again possible if both sides can look at each other with respect. No supremacy, no colonialist attitude. The Palestinians will not accept to remain subjugated. We are occupied, international law dictates that we have the right to liberation. As for the international community, its silence and complicity at certain significant times in the past have brought us to where we are today. If there was responsibility for the misdeeds of all parties, the situation would not have developed to what it is today. Those who want to protect Israel should understand that it can protect itself from insecurity if the security and rights of its neighbor are equally guaranteed. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict affects a large part of the world, so I expect a big contribution from the international community in solving it. The situation is serious, it requires attention and timely reactions.
