PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A group of nongovernment organizations and at least one political party have written to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders urging that the region suspend all ties to Israel to protest the ongoing war in Gaza.
In addition, the organizations are calling on the Caribbean governments to join the legal action before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Israel has launched an all-out offensive against the terrorist group Hamas, which, on October 7 last year, stormed across Gaza’s border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also fired thousands of rockets, killing several people, including children, the elderly, and 364 young people at a music festival. In addition, Hamas took more than 250 others to Gaza as hostages.
The local grouping under the banner Trinidad and Tobago Solidarity With Palestine -urged the regional leaders to endorse and support South Africa’s case at the ICJ, namely, the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
“South Africa has significantly won the first round, but the substantive issues remain to be determined. We need to join in solidarity with South Africa and other nations in this case,” said the letter that was signed by David Abdulah of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), Shabaka Kambon of the Caribbean Freedom Project, Imtiaz Mohammed of Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago, Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada of the Emancipation Support Committee, Ozzie Warwick of the Joint Trade Union Movement, Carol Noel of the Women’s Network of NGOs, and Jacquie Burgess of Working Women.
The letter also urged the regional leaders to support the ICJ case, “Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” which arose out of a UN General Assembly Resolution 77/247 adopted on December 30, 2022.
“Suspend diplomatic relations with Israel. Israel must be seen as a pariah state since it brazenly refuses to accept international laws, acts with impunity in violating UN Security Council Resolutions, and thumbs its nose at the ICJ.
“Surely, in this matter, a joint CARICOM position would have a positive impact, being stronger together,” the group said, urging the suspension of the credentials of Israel’s ambassador to various CARICOM countries.
“Suspend all trade, economic, and financial dealings with Israel. Suspend all sporting and cultural contact with Israel as we did with apartheid South Africa.
“Honourable Heads, we urge you to consider our proposals seriously. They are neither frivolous nor vexatious. They are simply acts of solidarity in the name of humanity.”
The letter claims that an estimated 30,000 Palestinians were killed in the past four months and 70,000 injured, many women and children. Some 1.5 million people were displaced.
“Nothing can justify these actions of absolute barbarism. It is abundantly clear that Israel’s military and political leadership are carrying out genocide,” it added.
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