International Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith has pushed again in opposition to criticism that Jamaica has remained silent on the warfare in Gaza, insisting the nation has been constant in its assist for peace and recognition of Palestine.
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Talking at a post-Cupboard media briefing on Wednesday, Johnson Smith reminded that in 2024 Jamaica formally recognised the State of Palestine in step with United Nations Decision 242, which requires a two-state resolution.
“Jamaica has by no means been in hiding on this situation. We’ve condemned actions on either side, known as for a ceasefire, and stay agency in our perception that dialogue and engagement, reasonably than efficiency, are essentially the most constructive instruments of diplomacy,” she mentioned.
Her remarks got here after Folks’s Nationwide Social gathering (PNP) spokesperson on overseas, regional and diaspora affairs, Senator Donna Scott Mottley, charged that Jamaica’s place lacked forcefulness and “sends the fallacious sign to the worldwide group and to the Palestinian individuals who proceed to undergo.”
Scott Mottley pointed to nations that made seen protests on the United Nations, together with strolling out throughout Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deal with, arguing Jamaica ought to have finished extra.
However Johnson Smith countered that such actions are symbolic reasonably than solutions-oriented. “Jamaica shouldn’t be a chest-beating Administration. We’re not ego-driven or image-based. Our focus is on options,” she informed reporters.
The minister highlighted Caricom’s collective stance, noting that the regional bloc has issued repeated requires peace and the safety of each Israelis and Palestinians. She confused that Jamaica’s place is grounded in worldwide legislation and multilateralism.
“We’ve all the time backed Decision 242, which outlines the framework for a two-state resolution,” she mentioned, including that this remained the “most secure path” to long-term peace.
Johnson Smith additionally warned in opposition to misinformation shaping public debate, echoing current feedback by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley a couple of “international disaster of fact.”
“We choose to hear, to be on the desk, to interact, whether or not we agree or disagree. That’s how we keep credibility as a nation and make sure that our voice carries weight in worldwide affairs,” Johnson Smith mentioned.
