Caribbean civil society organisations demand action on Gaza from regional Governments
More than 20 civil society organisations and concerned citizens across the Caribbean have written a second open letter to the Heads of Government of CARICOM demanding eight concrete measures against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The letter dated12 July came as a direct response to a CARICOM statement on Gaza issued the previous day.
“We write once again as concerned citizens of the Caribbean, joined in solidarity with oppressed peoples globally, to express our outrage at CARICOM’s continued pattern of empty statements while the genocide in Gaza unfolds in full view of the world;” the letter read.
It added, “Your recent statement dated on 11 July 2025 calling for a “sustained ceasefire” is woefully inadequate. We are no longer in a time where passive diplomacy is morally or legally acceptable.”
The signatories to the letter affirmed their eight specific demands from CARICOM:
- Sever diplomatic ties 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. Ban the importation, integration, or use of Israeli military or dual-use security technology—including ELTA Systems, Rafael, Elbit, and NSO Group—from all government and law enforcement operations and immediately suspend all cyber-security or surveillance contracts with Israeli defence-linked companies.
- 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.
- Cancel visa waiver programmes as other states have done and install proper checks on Israeli passport holders to CARICOM states.
- End all cooperation, training, or intelligence-sharing with Israeli military or security services across all ministries, police forces, and intelligence bodies.
- Suspend all sporting and cultural relations with Israel as was done with apartheid South Africa.
- CARICOM should officially support the historic Barbados court case seeking to hold Israel accountable for genocide and apartheid and 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.
- Immediately 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
- 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.
In concluding the signatories demanded a public response to their letter within 7 days. “The time for symbolic language has passed. Our Caribbean people are watching, organizing, and refusing to be silenced.”
The signatories of the letter were:
Palestine Solidarity Action Group, Jamaica
Trinbagonians For Palestine, Trinidad & Tobago
Caribbean Freedom Collective, Caribbean region
All- African People’s Revolutionary Party– Jamaica
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ)– Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean Against Apartheid in Palestine, Barbados
Jamaica Left Alliance for National Democracy and Socialism (LANDS), Jamaica
Curaçao for Palestine, Curaçao
Regional Articulation of African Descendants of the Americas and the Caribbean (ARAAC), Curaçao
Speak Out Jamaica, Jamaica
BDS Guyana, Guyana
Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
Haiti Support Group, Guyana
Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP), Guyana
Feminitt Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago
Marcus Garvey People’s Political Party, Jamaica
Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, Barbados
Caribbean Pan-African and Indigenous Movement-All chapters, Caribbean region
13th June 1980 Movement- Guyana
Maggie Schmeitz-Foundation Ultimate Purpose- Suriname
Cayman Palestine Solidarity Network, Cayman Islands
SXM in Solidarity with Palestine, St. Maarten, Dutch Caribbean
Liz Ali, Trinidad and Tobago
Danuta Radzik- Guyana
Charlene Wilkinson- Guyana
Vanda Radzik – Guyana
Nesha Haniff– Guyana
Wintress White– Guyana
Joy Marcus– Guyana
Halima Khan- Guyana
Susan Collymore-Guyana
Mariama Williams– Jamaica