By Gail Alexander
December 23, 2017 – guardian.co.tt
This country’s policy has always been to support steadfast recognition of the State of Israel with secure territorial borders as well as establishment of a Palestinian State, the Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses said yesterday.
He gave this explanation when asked about T&T’s abstention from Thursday’s vote in the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the status of Jerusalem.
The UN moved a resolution on the issue after US President Donald Trump’s recent declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The General Assembly voted 128-9 to deem Trump’s declaration “null and void”.
Moses said, 128 countries, including Guyana, Barbados, Suriname, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Venezuela and major allies of the United States voted in favour of the resolution, while nine countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against it.
T&T was among 35 countries, including Jamaica, The Bahamas, Antigua, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Panama, Mexico and Canada, that abstained. St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia were among 21 countries which were not present for the vote.
“Essentially, the resolution goes against the United States of America for its recent decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” Moses said.
“Trinidad and Tobago’s policy has always been to support the two states policy which means steadfast recognition of the State of Israel with secure territorial borders as well as the establishment of a Palestinian State.
“It is in this context that any and all negotiations relating to the future of Jerusalem arise. We would wish to see the United States play a major role in bringing this about by preserving its position as an influential broker in all negotiations which would have peace and security as its primary objective.”
Moses added: “It is the sovereignty of Trinidad and Tobago that allows us to have been ahead of our time in supporting a One China policy and in standing in opposition to the continuation of the embargo against Cuba.”
“Trinidad and Tobago stands with all our partners, including the United States, in pursuance of these objectives which we genuinely believe will contribute to world peace and advance humanity in an improved world economic order.”
Source: www.guardian.co.tt/news/2017-12-23/moses-explains-t%26amp%3Bt%E2%80%99s-stance-on-israel
From T&T’s perspective the steadfast recognition of the state of Israel is understood. How can the US be looked upon as an honest broker in negotiations for peace and security in that region when they have unilaterally agreed to recognize Jerusalem as the state capital of Israel? This is a complete cop-out from T&T to abstain from this vote in order to save face with the US and lacking the ‘balls’ to take a stand. What was done was totally wrong by the US. The US is repatriating T&T citizens from it’s mainland whilst T&T is locking up Cubans and killing Chinese citizens right here right now. It was also surprising to read that Venezuela was referred as a major ally of the US. Cudos to our brothers from the hurricane ravaged country of Dominica, same to Guyana, Barbados et al.
Merry Christmas to all.
“TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO STANDS WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, IN PURSUANCE OF THESE OBJECTIVES WHICH WE GENUINELY BELIEVE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO WORLD PEACE AND ADVANCE HUMANITY IN AN IMPROVED WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER”. This is the statement expected from a LACKEY HOUSE SLAVE REPRESENTATIVE, what part does Trinidad play in pursuance of these objectives? being a so-called sovereign Nation, does not give Trinidad the right to abstain from any vote that calls for INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE. Say what you may, Trinidad has always been in the back pocket of the USA and England, while flying a flag that was given, not fought for, their EUROPEAN monkey suit attire in a tropical country, is their dress choice. We have no discourses on geopolitics, a country who have given the world exemplars, from the dawn of the PAN-AFRICAN movement to becoming so-called sovereign state, Trinidad continues to take a backward step. A few years ago RUSSIA paid FRANCE in full to build a WAR SHIP carrier, with pressure from the USA and NATO, FRANCE refused to deliver, i wonder , if pressure is put on Trinidad by the USA to renege on the GAS pipeline deal with VENEZUELA, what would be the final call? Trump spoke to Trinidad’ prime minister straight up, about the MERCENARY JIHADIST coming out of Trinidad and the entailed consequences, it really sunk into Mr Rowley’ psyche, you know where he receives his medical check up. When was the last time a Trinidad prime minister addressed the UN assembly? does Trinidad have anything to tell the world? is Trinidad, willing to hide behind the curtain and continue to benefit from the crumbs falling off the table, while calling it self a sovereign state? both gov’t and opposition, shows no form of INTERNATIONALISM, the only time the world hears of Trinidad and Tobago, is when an athlete wins something in track and field, their national leaders are clueless of the UNIVERSE, or even the choppy waters of the BOCAS.
Cooper thank you for telling it like it is.
It is a good position for a small nation, given that the TNT economy is heavily dependent on the US economy. The Americans have made it clear that there are consequence for those nations that go against their policy on Israel.
The Palestinian/Israeli conflict will not end anytime soon. The Arabs own 96.4% of the Middle East whilst Israel occupies .6% of the land. The Arabs insist Israel is taking their land. There are 5 million Jews in Israel and 13 million altogether globally compared to 1.3 billion Muslims globally.
Jerusalem returned into Jewish hands in the six day war of 1967. In six days the Jews took more territory than anyone can imagine. A lot of the territories were returned in exchange for peace. It was a miraculous war to say the least.
Jerusalem was established as the Jewish capital 1000BC when King David took the city from the Jebusites. It is a city that has seen many conflicts. It was destroyed by the Babylonians, rebuilt and later destroyed by the Roman General Titus in AD70. There is 3,000 years of Jewish history that is the Jews love Jerusalem.
Saudia is 103 times larger than Israel. The Palestianians aka Arabs could be easily repatriated as many Jews has been repatriated to Israel. But they choose to fight and has as their plan the destruction of Israel…
What an American Rectum. ——–But, No surprise.
Namby-pamby foreign policy
By Dr Wayne Kublalsingh
December 24, 2017 – newsday.co.tt
In 2009, Nobel Prize Peace Laureate Barrack Obama came to power in Washington under the glow of international praise. There were high hopes for peace, and at least détente, around the globe; following the warmongering of George Bush and Dick Chaney in the Middle East. The Nobel Committee declared that the Prize was being “used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.”
Over the next eight years Obama extended illegal drone warfare over Pakistan and North Africa, illicitly supported the destruction of the Libyan state and the murder of its Pan-African leader; and embarked on a genocidal “Asad Must Go” campaign in Syria.
What made matters worse for the West was the refugee crisis. Millions of people left their homes in Syria, Libya, North Africa and began to make their journey by boat, foot, lorry, through Southern Europe into places as far North as Austria, Germany. What a colossal tragedy! The US media used the equally colossal euphemism: “blowback”! Obama had no clue what to do. By 2016, many Syrian cities were besieged, evacuated, abandoned, or reduced to powdery white sepulchres. 250,000 Syrians were dead; eleven million had been uprooted, flagellated like bush in an obeah-man’s hands.
Russia intervened and saved the day for the West, for Syrians. And this genocide had gone on for five years, whilst Obama busied our minds with kool-speech, and dude-walk. Then Donald Trump came on the scene. He promised to be friends with Russia, if this proved possible. Being friends with Russia is a good thing, not bad.
He also promised to give peace a shot in the Middle East, peace particularly between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Poor leadership has thrust the Israeli peoples into a no-win game. When the US weakens, cannot support Israel any more, Israelis stand the risk of vicious “retribution” from North, South, East and West.
The US would have no choice but to accommodate an Israel, an Amish or Mormon-like Israel, in its Mid-West, or South Western desert country.
Better to make peace, therefore, with its neighbours than war. Better to engage, than rely on the fickle and treacherous hand of a Western Alliance.
If Hitler had not moved west into Britain, east into Poland, south into France, directly attacking Western Europe and the USSR, international intervention to abort the genocidal pogrom against the Jewish people would NOT have been readily forthcoming! Now Trump has blundered!
By deciding to take a posture, to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem, a policy which so far has been enshrined in paper rather than direct action, he has all but invalidated himself as a peacemaker.
A most duncy-headed move. He has spoiled his presidential street-cred with Arabs, and some Jews, everywhere.
He has grabbed, in what has been nothing but, since the end of World War 1, a grabbing affair: two sovereign peoples living together, followed by grabs using pacts and UN mandates; the grabs by Egypt and Jordan, the Gaza Strip and West Bank; then a grab-back by Israel; a little release on the Gaza by Israel; and now flagrant grabbing by settlements on the West Bank. Grab after grab after grab. Not good. What has been Trinidad and Tobago’s position on Trump’s blunder?
It was shocking to hear that our Government abstained on the UN vote to sanction or not sanction Trump’s decision. It was more shocking to hear a reporter say that TT is an ‘ally’ of the US.
And even more shocking to hear the official state response: we are abstaining for the cause of our national interests.
Little England, Barbados, voted against the Trump decision. Big TT, independent, Republican, a leader at Caribbean and Caricom hemispheric affairs, has now, it seems, become the colonial stooge of Donald Trump and the US administration! Not good.
Who gave our Government permission to become an “ally” of the US, if the reporter is correct?
How were our national interests defined in this instance? What happened to the policy and practice of Non-Alignment? Or of simple decent ethics, common sense, in global affairs? Our Government voted the way of namby-pamby flunkeyism.
The way of the silent front against historical genocide in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and North and South East Asia. The way of blinding us with bull on CNN, FOX, BBC, NBC, with this gate or that gate, while the imperialists commit every manner of debauchery and savagery against sovereign peoples, republics and leaders!
There is still redemption for Trump. He must set all his alarming presidential authority, and capacity for grabbing global media, to the task of a genuine Palestinian-Israeli peace.
A full-frontal assault on war and hegemony. Save Israel, once and for all.
Source: http://newsday.co.tt/2017/12/24/namby-pamby-foreign-policy-2/
T&T’s massive fail in UN vote
Express Editorial
December 26, 2017 – trinidadexpress.com
THE weakness of Caricom was once again on global display when members broke ranks to register differing votes on the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution to declare the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as “null and void”.
Faced with the Trump administration’s threat to retaliate against countries that supported the resolution, Trinidad and Tobago chose to sit on the fence and abstain along with Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.
By contrast, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Suriname and St Vincent and the Grenadines all defied the threat to stand with the UN majority. Critics have condemned T&T’s vote as cowardly for having caved in to Trump’s bullying of sovereign states. In response, the explanation offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did nothing to assuage the shame that many Trinbagonians feel about seeing their country’s name on the list of abstentions.
Full Article : trinidadexpress.com
TnT has it’s own policy and need not follow all those weak Caribbean nations who tend to forget if Americans don’t visit they are economically dead.
Thank you Dr Kublalsingh for your clear statement on the Bully/Policeman of the world. Every one I talk to think Obama was a saint; but the truth is that he was no better than Bush, Clinton and Trump. Nobel Peace prize, what a crock!
BOYCOTT ISRAHELL