Palestinian FM targeted over Armenian background

Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, has become the target of a smear campaign due to her ethnic background.

A member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Dr. Huthaifa Abdallah, posted a provocative message on social media mocking her name, stating, “Imagine the Foreign Minister of Palestine being named Varsen Aghabekian Shahin. Find even one Arab name in hers—and win ten thousand dollars!”

The statement sparked a wave of outrage among members of the Armenian diaspora, who condemned the discriminatory and offensive remarks, emphasizing the unacceptability of ethnic intolerance in political discourse.

Varsen Aghabekian was born in Jordan in 1958. She is a historian by training, holding a master’s degree from Purdue University (Indiana, USA) and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA). In March 2024, she was appointed Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority.