General Secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration David Denny (left), and Secretary of the Caribbean against Apartheid in Palestine Lalu Hanuman (right), holding placards as they protest against Barbados’ role in hosting an Israeli trade show.
A GOVERNMENT Minister is reassuring Barbadians that his administration in no way supports the apartheid group.
Commenting on protest action taken by a local group against an Israeli trade show being held in Barbados, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Richard Sealy said as it relates to the vexing issue of what is taking place in the Middle East, Barbados, in many speeches to the United Nation over the years, has always supported a two-state solution.
“Barbados has said at the United Nation that it supports a two-state solution. We believe in the state of Israel and we believe in the state of Palestine.
“That in no way means that our relationship with Israel is lessened. We think that the resolution is a two-state solution for that particular Middle East issue, and we don’t think that is inconsistent with what we are doing here,” Sealy said.
Minister Sealy delivered the remarks at the Caribbean Israeli Technology Conference, which opened at the Hilton Hotel yesterday. The event gives businesses in the Caribbean an opportunity to network with some of the world’s leading organisations.
But, the Caribbean against Apartheid in Palestine group is not happy about the conference being hosted here.
Secretary of the group, attorney-at-law, Lalu Hanuman, who led the quiet protest action at the corner of Acquatic Gap and Bay Street before the conference started, told the media that people in the Caribbean look at Israel as a Biblical entity. However, in his opinion, the state is no longer the way the Bible spoke about it.
Hanuman holds a strong opinion that the Republic of Israel is an apartheid state, which he said is no different from the apartheid state in South Africa.
The secretary said while 126 members of the UN have recognised the state of Palestine, Barbados has not.
He said on about three occasions over the past three years he has written to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxine McClean, requesting a meeting with that Ministry to discuss the issue, but received no response.
“It is unacceptable,” Hanuman asserted.
“We had great solidarity, and rightfully so, with the struggles of the people of South Africa against apartheid. The Palestinians are enduring the same level of oppression as their indigenous people of South Africa.
“Yet, in the Caribbean, even though in geographical terms Palestine is nearer to Barbados than is South Africa, we have no solidarity with the people in Palestine,” Hanuman lamented.
General Secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, David Denny, who joined the protest action, said he believes the Government and people of Barbados should give full recognition to the Palestine people and what they are being forced to endure.
Denny argued that many progressive governments across the world have given solidarity support to Palestine.
“The situation in Palestine is no different from when South Africa was an apartheid state and we all took a very strong position to fight a battle against the apartheid government in South Africa. I therefore think that we should fight a very strong battle against the apartheid government in Israel.
“The people of Palestine are like any other country and they have rights and I think their rights should be respected and the people be allowed to live in peace,” Denny said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Israel to Barbados and other CARICOM states Mordehai Amihai-Bivas told the media that the protest action did not take place at the right time, explaining that “we come here in peace”.
“I have the full respect for the political opinions, but I believe they should take opportunity of this event in trying to see how they can promote the ongoing friendship between Israeli people and the Barbadian society.
“If they just protest and they don’t enter into dialogue with us we wouldn’t get anywhere. We are opened to dialogue the same way that we keep inviting the leadership of the Palestinian people to engage in negotiation with us,” the Ambassador explained.
About eight people participated in the protest which started from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. (AH)