In the past two weeks, the United Nations held a historic and overwhelming vote to admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but it appears that the United States might have used its diplomatic might to ensure that several Caribbean trade bloc nations either voted against it, absented themselves or abstained, leading to consternation among political critics in the region.
Diplomats from more than 100 countries rose to their feet when it was announced that 107 of the 173 countries on the UN floor had voted in favor of Palestinian membership, but missing from the room were Antigua and Guyana, while the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Trinidad all abstained, leading to criticism at home.
Raffique Shah, a respected political figure in Trinidad and a leading media commentator, criticized Trinidad’s decision to abstain, saying the administration of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar should explain to the people of the twin island republic with Tobago why that country would vote to keep Palestinians under the conquest of Israel.
“Are we consciously denying millions of Palestinians from enjoying the benefits of this non-political agency?” Shah asked in a recent column, suggesting that the foreign minister “needs to inform the people of this country if his government’s policy is that Palestine has no place among the nations of the world.”
A leading regional syndicated columnist, Barbados-based Rickey Singh, also indicated that he was bewildered by the regional stance of some bloc nations, noting that it was even more strange that some abstained, voted against or were absent, since “membership as a sovereign state was not a requirement to secure admission to UNESCO.”
The Obama administration has since announced the suspension of $60 million in annual funding to UNESCO and, along with Israel, has vowed to veto any future application by the Palestinians for full membership in the United Nations.
Still, countries like Belize, St. Vincent, St. Lucia (due to vote in general elections on Nov. 28), Grenada and Suriname all voted affirmatively for the Palestinians despite reports of intense backroom pressure from Washington to take its side and Israel’s. Other Caribbean countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic also threw their positive votes in with the majority of countries.
Critics and observers say, however, that states like Guyana might have concluded that they had already done enough to support the Palestinian cause by months ago recognizing a state called Palestine. Countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Suriname and St. Vincent already officially recognized Palestinian statehood, and so may have chosen not to fight on this so as not to irk their powerful neighbor to the north.
Some also have vested economic and other interests to protect, like Trinidad, which supplies a large portion of natural gas to America, while countries such as Jamaica host millions of American tourists each year.
Singh, nevertheless, questioned whether any or all of the five Caricom countries that abstained from the vote feel any obligation to offer a public explanation, considering that even nations deeply beholden to Washington-for example, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait as well as the new post-Gaddafi regime in Libya-voted in favor.
“Let’s wait and see,” he said.
