Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has denied reports that Saint Lucia’s delegation joined dozens of diplomats who walked out of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address last Thursday.
The walkout drew international attention as delegates from several countries left the General Assembly hall when Netanyahu took the podium. During his address, the Israeli leader criticised those who left, calling them “moral cowards”.
Reports subsequently circulated identifying Saint Lucia among countries whose representatives had either walked out or were not present for the address.
When questioned on the matter at Monday’s pre-Cabinet press briefing, Pierre rejected suggestions that Saint Lucia had taken part.
“Saint Lucia did not walk out,” he said, noting that one individual remained in the country’s seat during Netanyahu’s speech.
Pierre also stressed that while Saint Lucia did not participate in the walkout, the country has been clear about its position on conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.
In his own address to the UN General Assembly last Friday, the Prime Minister stated: “Saint Lucia laments the continued conflicts and human suffering across the globe, including Ukraine, Sudan and the wider Middle East, including Gaza, and calls for renewed efforts towards peace, stability and respect for international law.
“In accordance with their right to self-determination and UN resolutions, in particular Resolution 3236 of 1974, the people of Palestine should be allowed their own State and full membership of the UN, alongside the state of Israel.”
St Lucia should have walked out. That would have been the moral thing to do. Saying one thing and not backing it up is useless.
Not surprised at all by the PM’s statement!
I refer to St. Lucia’s real Diplomatic Mission Statement:
“He who grovels on his knees today, lives to grovel on his knees everyday!”
This statement was wrongly interpreted from our English & French colonizers, whose method of “fighting” Hitler was governed by the saying, “he who fights & runs away, lives to fight another day”, while waiting for the Soviet Union to pay the price of losing 27 million souls in winning World War II (USSR called the it The Great Patriotic War) by killing off at least 80% of the Nazi forces, in the successful defense of their Motherland, Russia.
Awah for PJP wi! Man is saying we walked out while also saying the one person stayed. Stand your ground against evil, inhumanity and genocide!!! As a nation we lose our moral compass if we give the slightest hint of support to racist bigots and mass murderers of civilians. We too are at risk of their terrorist behaviour ….we are sitting ducks if they decide to conquer us and start slavery back on the island of Saint Lucia.
What is it that the Prime Minister is afraid of? What are the consequences that we will face as a small island that he refuses to inform the population about? That he is always on the defensive when he is required to show some back bones and when is needed! Always trying to justify the indefensible.
We cannot say no to America and accept foreign deportees at our tax payers expense. Now we can not be seen to participate in a walk out from the UN when the Prime Minister of Israel who is clearly committing genocide against the Palestinians and there is an international arrest warrant issued for his arrest. Why why why? Is he so afraid to be seen to do the right thing!
The one person who remained should be sacked.