KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, is refuting accusations from the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) that the Government has been silent on issues affecting the Middle East, including Palestine.
“To ignore all that has been said and done, including the actual recognition of the State of Palestine last year, a step never taken by any previous administration; and to decry our non-participation in a performative action shows the image-focused and in-substantive approach of the PNP to foreign policy,” Johnson Smith said in a press release on Tuesday.
The minister added that “it is disappointing but not surprising” that the PNP has continued what she described as its trend of disingenuous approaches to foreign policy issues.
Her comments followed a media release from the PNP on Tuesday, where the party condemned the Government for what it described as a failure to show solidarity with the Palestinian people during key moments at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Johnson Smith pointed to comments from Prime Minister Andrew Holness during the UNGA, who stated, “Jamaica is deeply horrified by the devastating humanitarian consequences of the counteroffensive in Palestinian territories. A just and peaceful resolution to the conflict is only possible through diplomacy and dialogue. We continue to support United Nation Security Council Resolution 242, and support the call...
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