Transcript: Diane Sawyer Interviews Queen Rania

Sept. 23, 2009— -- Queen Rania of Jordan sat down for an interview with "Good Morning America" co-anchor Diane Sawyer Sept. 22, 2009. The following transcript of their interview has been edited for clarity.

DIANE SAWYER:Your Majesty, welcome again.

QUEEN RANIA:

Thank you.

SAWYER:

Just a quick question about the news of the day, because as we know, the president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with President Obama and with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. The president has said people are too cynical. Are people too cynical? Do you really think a breakthrough is possible? In this climate, at this time?

QUEEN RANIA:

I feel that we don't have the luxury of asking whether or not the Palestinians and Israelis can achieve peace. I think we have to just ask the question of when and how. Because saying it's -- it's the -- if the peace process is possible or not, that kind of cynicism comes at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives, you know? We cannot write off a process. Because by writing off a process, we're writing off people's lives. So, it has to happen.

Now, what's missing is the political will on all sides to forward. We need the leaders to have the fortitude to really make the right decisions. And I don't think anyone has -- any of us have the patience for more process. We want to get to the end game. We want to move beyond process. And really see decisive and concrete actions on the ground that get the Palestinians and Israelis to move forward on peace. This is a process that has been going on for a long time. And these incremental steps only feed the agendas of the -- those that are against peace. They only feed radical agendas.

SAWYER:

Prime Minister Netanyahu introduced a new phrase into the debate. In which he said in order for there to be a Palestinian state, the Palestinians would have to recognize Israel as a nation state of the Jewish people. Is that ever gonna happen?

QUEEN RANIA:

For there to be peace, there needs to be an end to all the occupation. That's a fact that cannot be ignored. The only way for Israel to achieve a sense of security is for it to be accepted and accepting in the region. And the end to occupation, giving the Palestinians their right to statehood and freedom to the people at the end of the day, that's what's going to get Israel -- the security.

Now, there have been unhelpful steps on the ground. For example, the issue of the settlements has been a major issue. And we were hoping that this week we would be kick-starting the peace negotiations, instead of just having a meeting. But those ended up being a stumbling block. And for Israel to seize the settlement building is not for Israel to make concessions or compromise. It's just to abide by the law. Because those settlements are illegal. And -- and they must stop.

And how can you sit at a negotiating table, with your partner, when your partner is creating facts on the ground that are non-negotiable. And that's what happens with these -- with these settlements. And let me just say that the peace is not just something that Palestinians want. It's not just -- peace between Israelis and Palestinians and Israelis and Arabs. The United States wants this peace to move forward. Europe, the rest of the world. We're talking about, you know, Israel being accepted by 57 members of the United Nations, who are not -- who don't recognize Israel at the moment.

So, we -- everything hinges on this. And it's in the world's strategic interest for there their be peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. There have been too much suffering, too much pain, too much mistrust. You know, peace is what undermines extremism, you know? We all have a vested interest in peace and security in our region.