Caribbean Nationals Rally In Support Of Palestinians

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Oct. 17, 2023: Nationals in at least Caribbean countries and territories are rallying in support of the Palestinian people as the death toll from Israeli bombing and blockade climbed past 2,300 today.

Pro-government Cubans on Monday turned out at the Arab Emigrant Park in Havana in a  rally in support of the Palestinian people.

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement expressing concern about the escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine, “a consequence,” it said, “of 75 years of permanent violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and of Israel’s aggressive and expansionist policy.”

“Cuba demands a broad, just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the creation of two States, which allows the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to have an independent and sovereign State within its borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement added.

The Ministry also called on the United Nations Security Council to fulfill its mandate and put an end to the impunity of Israel, “the occupying power, with which the United States has historically been complicit, by repeatedly obstructing the action of the body, undermining peace, security and stability in the Middle East.”

It concluded by calling for peace and the search for a solution through negotiation that avoids a further escalation of a conflict that has already cost the lives of tens of thousands of people.

The Cuba protest comes as activists in Puerto Rico plan to hold a rally in downtown San Juan today to also show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and condemn recent actions by the government of Israel.

Demonstrators will gather outside the Federal Court along Avenida Chardon starting at 4 p.m. EST. It remains unclear how many participants the event may draw.

Civil defense team member and a resident carry injured man near the collapsed and heavily damaged buildings after Israel’s attack as the Israeli attacks continue on its eleventh day in Er-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, Gaza on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)

While there have been no demonstrations of support in other Caribbean countries and territories, The Caribbean Community, (CARICOM), the regional body, issued a statement on Oct. 9th, in which it said it “abhors the attacks in Israel and the counterattacks in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.”

“Further, the savage nature of the attacks and counterattacks is the antithesis of civilized life and living. Innocent lives are being lost amidst the fervor and violence of the actual combatants,” the statement added, while urging for an immediate ceasefire and end of hostilities by all parties.

Meanwhile, in Barbados, a group calling itself Caribbean Against Apartheid in Palestine, is set to hold a rally in support of “justice and peace” on Oct. 21st in front of the US Embassy in Barbados from 3-5 p.m. according to a  Facebook post. That rally is subject to police approval of the protest.

The Caribbean countries that currently recognize Palestine as a state even though the Palestinian people are deemed stateless in the US are:

St. Kitts & Nevis

Antigua and Barbuda

Belize

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Grenada

Guyana

Haiti

St. Lucia

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

and Suriname.

DEATH TOLL

In Gaza, the death toll climbed to 2,329 Palestinians killed today, Oct. 17th, and 9,714 wounded, while in the West Bank, 54 were recorded dead and 1,100 wounded since the conflict between Hamas and Israel started on Oct. 7.