Tonight, Belize is the first country in the Caribbean to take drastic diplomatic measures against Israel for its actions in Gaza.
The government announced today that it will not accredit Israel's Ambassador Designate to Belize; It will suspend the work of the long standing office of the Israeli Honorary Consulate in Belize, while also suspending the appointment of the Honorary Consul. Belize is also suspending all activities of Belize's Honorary Consulate in Tel Aviv, Israel and withdrawing the appointment of its Honorary Consul; and withdrawing its request for the accreditation of Belize's Honorary Consul to Israel.
An official statement sailed at midday says that Belize came to this firm stance after witnessing the, quote, "unceasing indiscriminate bombing in Gaza which has killed more than 11,000 innocent civilians, mostly women and children."
All that Belize has done amounts to coming one step short of breaking diplomatic relations with Israel. The Foreign Minister explained to us via Zoom why it has come to this:
Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"It is a humanitarian catastrophe that we have not seen for quite a long time and certainly not since our government has been in office. And so moving from a humanitarian point of view, we decided that this is an issue that has to be addressed in the most forthright and the most diplomatic way."
"Secondly, our assessment of what has taken place since the 7th of October in Gaza shows us very clearly that there have been gross violations of international law, gross violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses all perpetrated by the Israeli defence forces on the instructions of the government of Israel."
"We have written to the government of Israel. I have spoken to the ambassador who was designated to be the ambassador to Belize. We have sent several tweets and we have not seen any intention by Israel to have an immediate cessation of hostilities as ceasefire."
"We have seen no satisfactory efforts by Israel to relent in its ceaseless bombing. We have seen absolutely no effort by Israel to allow adequate amounts of humanitarian supplies to go into Gaza so that there can be relief to the people of Gaza."
"In the circumstances, we find it very difficult to remain quiet. And therefore, yesterday at the Cabinet and parliamentary group meeting on house members, this matter was considered fully and the decision was taken for us to take the steps that have been set out in the release that was issued."
"What do we do? The only options left for us are one, to revoke the agrammar, which is the permission for us, for Israel to send an ambassador to Belize. That ambassador never presented her credentials formally, and so that is not going to happen."
"Secondly, we have an honorary council in Israel, and therefore we said to them that that honorary council, we are revoking his authority to act on behalf of Belize. Israel has an honorary council in Belize, and we have revoked the authority of that honorary council to act in Belize."
"And so those are the things that we can do at this stage, our hope, and perhaps we are hoping against hope. Our hope is that Israel will listen, and as other countries have been trying to encourage Israel to depart from the course that is on."
Reporter
"Is there any possibility that this could actually lead to Belize cutting ties at some point with Israel?"
Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Well, as the cabinet decided yesterday, we have this matter under review. We expect or we are hoping that Israel will change its course and if Israel does not change its course then we have to consider whether we will take any further steps."
Reporter
"In future looking at what's happened right now and the war crimes that Israel is committing that we would consider a hands-off diplomatic relations with Israel in future."
Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"I believe and you're asking me to speculate Marisol but I believe the following right, one, if Israel. One, implement an immediate ceasefire. Two, allows it to flow into Palestine. Three, an international effort is arranged to rebuild Gaza. Four, there is a exercise of the right of self -determination by the Palestinians. And five, that there is compensation for those who have lost and those who have committed crimes are held to account. Belize would certainly then have to consider whether it will restore ambassadors, restore honorary council. And that type of thing. The people of Palestine have been occupied by Israel for too long. They have a right to self-determination which they have been denied. They have the right to live in peace. They have the right to have their children go to school, to have access to healthcare, to live as human beings and not in an open prison. Not in an apartheid state."
