Caribbean Civil Society Demands Sanctions, Military Embargo against Israeli “rogue state”

Over 40 civil society organisations and prominent individuals from at least 15 countries across the Caribbean have issued an open letter to the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), calling for immediate and decisive action against the Israeli “rogue state” in response to its ongoing atrocities against Palestinians, reports the Middle East Monitor. The 49th Caribbean Heads of Government will be meeting in Montego Bay Jamaica from 6-8 July.

In their open letter to the CARICOM heads, the signatories said while they appreciated that there are many matters on the agenda of the annual summit, “There is one issue, however, that does not directly impact the lives of citizens of CARICOM but which ought to be of great concern to everyone given that it goes to the root of our understanding as Caribbean people of “humanity”.

“We refer, of course to the continuing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, its illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem and that state’s intensification of its policies of apartheid against the entire Palestinian people.”

The letter added: “CARICOM Member States have voted in favour of UNGA Resolution A/ES10/L.31/Rev.1, co-sponsored by Guyana, which for the first time in 42 years has demanded targeted and lawful sanctions against Israel.”

Referring to the Caribbean people’s solidarity in the struggle against Apartheid South Africa the letter read: “This is not the first occasion in history when a state and its leaders have acted in this manner and had support from powerful nations. We cite one example with which we are all very familiar – Apartheid South Africa. In that situation, those in the world who stood for justice and humanity came together and took a very principled position – Apartheid South Africa is a pariah state and must be treated as such. That international solidarity contributed immensely to the eventual ending of apartheid in South Africa.”

Writing under the umbrella body, Assembly of Caribbean People, the signatories called on the heads of CARICOM to:

1. In line with international legal obligations, impose targeted, lawful sanctions on Israel, including comprehensive military embargoes, and prohibit selling flags to vessels carrying arms, dual-use items or other military equipment to Israel, given that these would contribute to Israel’s atrocities and crimes against humanity. In this regard, we congratulate the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for taking action and issuing a prohibition directive with consequences. However, after the vessel went dark it was confirmed to have delivered 10 tons of military explosives on 4th June to Israel, using an Antigua and Barbuda flag. Antigua and Barbuda must stand by their directive and hold the company accountable under international law.
2. Suspend all sporting and cultural relations with Israel as was done with apartheid South Africa.
3. Immediately suspend diplomatic relations with the state of Israel and consequently revoke the diplomatic recognition of its Ambassador to various member states.
4. Endorse and openly support accountability measures against Israel at international courts, including South Africa’s case against Israel under the Genocide Convention before the International Court of Justice (ICJ); and the case against Israel and several of its leaders at the International Criminal Court.
5. Following the ruling of the ICJ on the “Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”, immediately end all other forms of complicity with Israel’s illegal military occupation, its ever more brutal genocide in Gaza, and the root cause of all this – Israel’s 76-year-old regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid – and work within the UN General Assembly to re-activate the UN Special Committee against Apartheid to help eradicate Israel’s regime of apartheid and hold those responsible accountable.
6. Suspend all trade, economic and financial dealings with Israel and, ensure that no company – state or private – registered in a CARICOM Member State is engaged in trading with or has other economic or financial dealing with the state of Israel or Israeli companies.
7. Support the expulsion of Israel from international fora including the UNGA and other UN organs, the Olympics, FIFA having regard to the unequivocal judgments of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice with respect to Israel’s violations of international laws.
8. Cancel visa waiver programmes as other states have done and install proper checks on Israeli passport holders to CARICOM states. Almost all CARICOM member states allow Israeli citizens to enter visa free to their country. The Immigration Departments, through the appropriate procedures, must deny a visa to, and if found to be in the member state deport, any visitor with links to the ongoing genocide, war crimes, or crime against humanity in Gaza, regardless of diplomatic status.
9. Participate in the Emergency Meeting of The Hague Group to be held in Bogota, Colombia, on July 15 and 16, 2025 and join as members of this gathering of states, which have united to take coordinated legal and diplomatic measures against Israel’s violations of international law.

These demands, the letter stressed, represent the policy approach that was taken when dealing with apartheid South Africa. “The same must now be applied to the pariah state of Israel. In the words of the late South African Freedom Fighter – Nelson Mandela – “But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”

Meanwhile, the International Secretariat of the Palestinian-led BDS movement has announced that Maren Mantovani, member of the International Secretariat, will arrive in Jamaica ahead of the CARICOM summit to strengthen regional solidarity and catalyse concrete state-level action.