Browne: All 'decent people' against Gaza atrocities

MINISTER of Caricom and Foreign Affairs Dr Amery Browne may have ruffled some diplomatic feathers at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 29, when he stood in defence of women, children and aid workers being killed in Gaza by Israeli forces.

Browne, who led a six-person delegation from Trinidad and Tobago, delivered an impassioned half-hour-long speech, during which he criticised the hypocritical response by world powers to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Browne said clear double standards have been applied to Palestinian victims of the war, who are often viewed as collateral damage and less deserving of protection than other victims of conflict.

Browne stressed that he, TT, and the Caribbean opposed this world-view.

“Mr president, TT 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 flash points or expansion that are being deployed (daily).”

Palestine’s diplomatic representative looked on, slowly nodding her head in agreement as Browne alluded to the collective punishment being applied to Palestinians in the aftermath of the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

About 1,400 innocent people were killed in Israel during an attack by Hamas, a militant group based in Palestine.

However, several world leaders have condemned Israel's response. According to Palestinian health authorities, the death toll in Gaza since October 7 has exceeded 40,000 with near 100,000 wounded. Hospitals, schools, churches and other buildings in Gaza have been left in rubble owing to bombs dropped by Israel, who claim they are fighting Hamas.

In May 2024, International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Kharim Khan requested arrest warrants for Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahiya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.

On September 18, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, calling for a withdrawal within 12 months.

The resolution was partly based on an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared the occupation unlawful.

Browne said, “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 – 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 in particular is appalled.”

Browne pointed to what he believed was a hypocritical approach from global powers.

The US has been Israel’s closest ally, providing billions in weapons, bombs and other military aid, spanning decades.

In 2016, the two countries signed a ten-year memorandum of understanding, with the US agreeing to provide Israel with $3.8 billion annually.

The US ramped up its support after the October 7 attack by Hamas.

In October 2023, US president Joe Biden requested an additional $14 billion in aid to Israel as part of a larger $105 billion foreign aid package​.

Browne did not directly address the US’s involvement or any other specific nation’s support for Israel.

However, he said the world’s powers would have approached the situation differently had the victims been from the developed world.

“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.”

He said the double standards and continued resourcing of international law violations “send a chilling message to the global South.”

“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 defence, 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.”

Call for 'immediate cease-fire'

Browne said international law is “not a tool of mere convenience to be muted for friends and trumped against our enemies,” and repeated the line for emphasis.

“In this regard, TT has joined the call for an immediate full and complete cease-fire and for 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.

“TT 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 wait of occupation.”

He said TT firmly believes that a two-state solution is the only credible pathway to end the cycle of violence, “culminating 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, TT (decided) to recognise 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 noted TT and Palestine officially established diplomatic ties a week before the speech, on September 22.

The formalisation of ties was marked by a signing ceremony at the Permanent Mission of TT to the UN in New York, involving Browne and Palestine’s Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

During this event, Browne stressed TT's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for a two-state solution that would ensure both the security of Israel and the sovereignty of Palestine within pre-1967 borders.

“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.”

No development without peace

Browne pre-empted his comments on the war on Gaza, addressing the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

He said it is well-established that “there can be no sustainable development without peace.

“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 said, as the camera focused on an uncomfortable-looking Russian diplomatic delegation.

Browne issued broad condemnations of regional conflicts and human rights violations.

“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.”