By Daoud Kuttab

In an exclusive interview, Varen Aghabekian, the newly sworn-in State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, talked about reform in the ministry, cooperation with expatriates, better engagement with talented Palestinians, and special focus on the Palestinian narrative.

The minister who grew up in Jerusalem’’s Armenian quarter ‘s old city, said that she plans to remain steadfast in shedding light on the challenges faced by Palestinian Christians.“The challenges Palestinian Christians face, whose plight is intricately connected to the broader Palestinian narrative. I will continue to speak and advocate for self-determination, the end of occupation, and the enabling of a free sovereign State of Palestine.”

Aghabekian, the first ever Palestinian Armenian to become a cabinet minister called for a liberation rather than a colonization reading of the Bible and the necessity “to read Bible towards liberation rather than a tool for colonization of Palestine and entrenchment of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, or to justify the uprooting of Palestinians from their land and ignoring Palestinians’ ongoing sufferings.”

Aghabekian said that the PLO is fully in support of Armenian rights in the city of Jerusalem, adding that as a Palestinian Armenian, “I remain fully committed to supporting the Armenian community in their resilience and perseverance and will continue to follow up on the developments and speak on the necessity to protect the Armenian heritage in the occupied city. “

Aghabekian said that her strategy will focus on the need involves enhancing the discourse surrounding Palestine by collaborating with governmental and non-governmental organizations dedicated to advocating for Palestinian rights.”

The new state minister for foreign affairs and expatriates said that her portfolio will include reform and development of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. “My immediate priorities include an assessment and a plan with a timeline for the development of the Ministry operations including Diplomatic and Consular Services ensuring a more efficient Foreign Service to enable it to achieve the set foreign policy agenda of the PLO including our foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral and multilateral relations and providing support for Palestinians abroad. This will involve engaging stakeholders from within the ministry and the Palestinian community both inside Palestine and in the diaspora.

The new Palestinian official confirmed a continuation of the personnel changes based on the retirement age of existing ambassadors. “We will be following up the diplomatic Law, rules and regulations and will act accordingly. We will duly follow a process towards a smooth handover, injecting new diplomats abroad to strengthen our diplomatic work.

Finally, Aghabekian who resigned her position from the Palestinian negotiation’s unity said that discussion is underway to engage the unit “in more effectively supporting our work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates especially that parts of work in both settings is interlinked. This aims at enhancing strategic, legal, and policy input on critical issues in support of the Palestinian cause and positioning.”

Below is the full Q&A interview with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian.

Q:  What are your immediate priorities in the new post?

A: My immediate priorities include an assessment and a plan with a timeline for the development of the Ministry operations including Diplomatic and Consular Services ensuring a more efficient Foreign Service to enable it to achieve the set foreign policy agenda of the PLO including our foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral and multilateral relations and providing support for Palestinians abroad. This is based on the Government’s agenda towards protecting our national interest, strengthening our political-diplomatic advocacy for Palestine and international cooperation for the consolidation of justice and peace and most importantly improving our service responding to the needs of our people abroad.

This will involve engaging stakeholders from within the ministry and the Palestinian community inside and in the diaspora.

In parallel, addressing the end of genocide and the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza will be a priority alongside amplifying voices on Israeli violations in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. Additionally, increasing our visibility through media can be leveraged to strengthen Palestinian relationships with other countries, amplify Palestinian voices on critical issues, and address objectives and issues related to Palestinian sovereignty.  This entails advocating for a just and lasting resolution based on international law, relevant UN resolutions, and self-determination and territorial integrity principles.

Q: You were active in speaking on Palestine to the global Christian community what are your plans to try and fight against Christian Zionism around the world?

A: My focus remains steadfast on shedding light on the multifaceted reality of the Palestinian experience, encompassing the diverse mosaic of its population. Central to this, is to focus on the challenges faced by Palestinian Christians, whose plight is intricately connected to the broader Palestinian narrative. I will continue to speak and advocate for self-determination, the end of the occupation, and the enabling of a free sovereign State of Palestine and to strengthen its institutions in whatever international fora and platforms, including speaking on the necessity to read the Bible towards liberation rather than a tool for colonization of Palestine and entrenchment of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, or to justify the uprooting of Palestinians from their land and ignoring Palestinians’ ongoing sufferings.

Moving forward, part of my strategy c. Additionally, amplifying voices and initiatives that champion the perseverance of Palestinians and counter the narrative propagated by Christian Zionism.

Q: There are successful Christian Palestinians who have reached the White House on more than one occasion, how can the Palestinian government benefit from them and others?

A: We will seek Palestinian talent and potential wherever available to advocate for Palestine and strengthen our position towards end of occupation. We will encourage platforms to speak and engage them towards our diplomacy and international relations work.

Q: The traditional media has not been fair to Palestine; will you work on improving the Palestinian presence in the media?

A: Our government fully acknowledge the importance of fair and accurate representation of Palestine in the media. The traditional media landscape has often fallen short of providing a balanced portrayal of our nation and its people. Addressing this issue is a priority for me and my Ministry. Our strategy will involve multifaceted approaches, including a strategy for the ministry, fostering and strengthening responsiveness to media outlets, supporting Palestinian journalists, and leveraging digital platforms to amplify our voice. Our strategy will also consist of better alignment and mainstreaming of Palestinian stories and talking points. This is pertinent given the challenges and issues facing Palestinians highlighting the diverse narratives and experiences within Palestine. We will seek to promote transparency, truth, and equity in media coverage of Palestine.

Q: There are new developments regarding the fight for the Armenian quarter. What are your immediate plans? Will you visit the threatened Armenian area in your new capacity?

A: Violations in the Armenian Quarter have been part of the Israelization and the hegemony on the occupied walled city of Jerusalem and have intensified in the last couple of years. The Armenian Quarter is part of the Armenian heritage in Palestine and lies within occupied territory as per international law. Armenians have shown great resilience and coordination amongst the Armenian community locally and globally and are adamant to protect their Quarter which has witnessed Armenians’ long and uninterrupted presence in Palestine for centuries. As a Palestinian Armenian, I remain fully committed to supporting the Armenian community in their resilience and perseverance and will continue to follow up on the developments and speak on the necessity to protect the Armenian heritage in the occupied city.

The PLO has maintained a longstanding dedication to advocating for the rights and status of the Armenian community and the Armenian Quarter, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the Palestinian fabric, history, activism, and economy and towards preserving the integrity of the Old City with its mosaic and Christian presence.

Q: What is the status of the many ambassadors that reached retirement age?

A: We will be following up the diplomatic Law, rules, and regulations and will act accordingly. We will duly follow a process towards a smooth handover, injecting new diplomats abroad to strengthen our diplomatic work.

Q: How do you plan to work on the exaptatriate especially considering that many have a negative view of the PA?

A: We will strengthen our engagement with our communities abroad through various measures including for instance, coordinating with the community while always focusing on our political agenda, working on a couple of key themes throughout the year on specific occasions to be focused on by all our missions in all countries of our representation for greater impact. Additionally, improved consular services with timely responsiveness to requests. Furthermore, enhancing engagement through digital platforms to elicit continuous input and feedback from our people abroad among other areas.

Q: Will you divide portfolios with the Prime Minister who is the Foreign Minister? Which portfolios will you focus on?

The Prime Minister, who is the Foreign Minister, will delegate tasks to me as per our agreed-upon division of labor.  I will focus on reform and development.

Q: How will you coordinate with the negotiations Unit? Who will head it?

A: I have resigned from my engagement with the Negotiations Unit. The Head of the Negotiations Department will assign an advisor to follow up. Discussion is underway to engage the NSU in more effectively supporting our work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates especially since parts of work in both settings are interlinked. This aims at enhancing strategic, legal, and policy input on critical issues in support of the Palestinian cause and positioning.