During the 79th UN General Assembly in New York on September 29, Minister of Caricom and Foreign Affairs Dr. Amery Browne may have caused a ruckus among diplomats when he spoke up in favor of women, children, and relief workers who were being massacred in Gaza by Israeli forces.
In an ardent 30-minute address, Browne—who was accompanied by a group of six people from Trinidad and Tobago—criticized the international powers’ incoherent approach to the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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According to Browne, there are blatantly unfair disparities between the treatment of Palestinian war victims and other victims of warfare. The Palestinians are frequently treated like collateral damage and are not as worthy of protection.
Browne emphasized that the Caribbean, T&T, and he were against this worldview.
“Mr. President, T&T is deeply troubled by the escalation of conflict and tensions in the Middle East.”
“We remain distressed by the ongoing war on Gaza and by the chilling flashpoints or expansion that are being deployed (daily).”
As she saw, Palestine’s diplomatic envoy nodded slowly in agreement as Browne mentioned the collective punishment meted out to the Palestinian people following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas carried out an attack on Israel that claimed the lives of almost 1,400 innocent civilians.
Nonetheless, a number of international leaders have denounced Israel’s action.
Nearly 100,000 people have been injured and over 40,000 people have died in Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel, which maintains it is battling Hamas, has been dropping bombs on Gaza, leaving hospitals, schools, churches, and other facilities in ruins.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahiya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh were all targeted for arrest warrant requests made by Chief Prosecutor Kharim Khan of the International Criminal Court in May 2024).
A resolution calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and a 12-month disengagement timeline was approved by the UN General Assembly on September 18.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ruled that the occupation was illegal, provided advice that informed the resolution in part.
Browne declared, “Only someone absolutely bereft of humanity would think that it is lawful and just and even godly to respond to atrocities committed on one awful day of terror by, in turn, committing atrocities after atrocities.
“How else are we to describe the killing of over 200 UN staff members as the highest death toll in UN history – and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians including women and children?”
“And this is not being done in secret. The entire world is watching, and the global South is appalled.”
Browne cited what he saw as the world’s superpowers’ hypocritical stance.
The United States has been the closest friend of Israel for many years, giving it billions of dollars’ worth of weapons, bombs, and other military support. A ten-year memorandum of agreement was signed by the two nations in 2016, in which the US committed to giving Israel $3.8 billion a year.
The US increased its assistance following the Hamas attack on October 7. As part of a wider US$105 billion foreign assistance package, US President Joe Biden proposed an additional US$14 billion in funding to Israel in October 2023.
Browne did not specifically address the US’s support for Israel or the backing of any other country.
If the casualties had come from a developed country, he claimed, the world’s powers would have handled the matter differently.
“The question remains: if innocent civilians, including women, children, and UN staff were being killed at this record rate in the developed world, how would the world’s big powers have reacted? Not likely with euphemisms and platitudes.”
“Send a chilling message to the global South,” he warned, referring to the double standards and ongoing funding of international law infractions.
“And that message is this: There are some powerful people in this world who are of the view that a Palestinian child is less worthy of defense, protection, food, water, and life than another child.”
“I am not of that view. The people of my country are not of that view. Caricom is not of that view, and decent people all over the world, including in Israel, are not of that view.”
To emphasize his point, Browne stated again that international law is “not a tool of mere convenience to be muted for friends and trumped against our enemies.”
“In this regard, T&T has joined the call for an immediate full, and complete ceasefire and the unconditional release of every single hostage.”
“The truth is there is no military solution to this conflict, as peace will only be achieved through negotiations in good faith and constructive dialogue among all concerned parties.”
“T&T has consistently expressed our support for a two-state solution where Israelis can live without the daily threat of terror and Palestinians can live without the daily weight of occupation.”
According to him, the only realistic option to break the cycle of bloodshed is through a two-state solution, which would “culminate in the establishment of a sovereign and peaceful state of Palestine, alongside a peaceful and sovereign state of Israel, within secure borders.”
“Rooted in this belief, T&T (decided) to recognize the state of Palestine (on May 2), in our contribution to the two-state solution and the support of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination.”
He said on September 22 of last week, one week before the address, that T&T and Palestine had established diplomatic relations.
A signing ceremony between Browne and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa took place at T&T’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York to officially recognize the formalization of ties.
In addition to promoting a two-state solution that would guarantee both Israel’s security and Palestine’s statehood within pre-1967 boundaries, Browne emphasized T&T’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian problem during this occasion.
“We look forward to the day the state of Palestine will be welcomed to take its seat in the General Assembly as a full member of the UN.”
Browne addressed the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine before making any remarks about the fighting in Gaza.
“There can be no sustainable development without peace,” he stated, citing well-established facts.
“If we fail to find credible solutions to the global challenges, humanity crises, and conflicts around the world, the international community would have squandered its responsibility and would have perpetuated a vicious downward spiral of oppression.”
“One example is the Russia-Ukraine war, which is still ongoing nearly three years after Russia’s initial invasion, which we condemned with profound implications to the world order,” he stated, with the camera centered on a Russian diplomatic entourage that appeared uneasy.
Browne denounced human rights abuses and regional wars in general.
“Our planet really should have been in better shape in the year 2024, but instead, we are deeply disturbed and dismayed by fresh divisions, the flouting of international law, gross violations of human rights, and the flourishing of illegal settlements and oppression, which threaten peace and security around the world. Further, the alarm bells on the climate crisis have long been sounded…yet we race toward a point of no return.”
