The official ceremonies for Independence Day were held yesterday in Belmopan - and non-resident ambassadors came in from all over the world to be there.
The non-resident Ambassador to Israel, Shmulik Bass who presented his credentials a few days earlier was in Belize for the first time.
He was accredited as ambassador a one week after the Government of Belize disappointed Israel by formally recognizing Palestine as a sovereign and independent State, consistent with Belize's long held position in support of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
It sounds about right for a small country under territorial claim form a smaller country but today Bass told us Belize has taken a wrong position.
Here's his explanation:
Jules Vasquez
"What was the view of your mission when you heard, in mid-September, that the Government of Belize had taken this decision?"
Shmulik A. Bass - Ambassador, State of Israel
"I have to tell you we were disappointed - very much surprised of that - because we did not expect from a friendly country, such as statement - such a decision. And why is that? I understand - we understand in Israel - the wording that this decision is meant against Israel, but the way we see that - and not only Belize, there were other countries - we see that as worsening the situation. How come? It looks like beautiful thing to support the people - and I saw in the article of Amandala - like everybody reiterating the right of self-determination. We are not against that. We are not against the Palestinians, nor are we against the Palestinian State. But, if you take the peace process, which started 93 with the Oslo Agreements, and when you have negotiations, 2 sides have to compromise. 2 sides have to make concessions. We don't see any concessions from the Palestinians. So instead of doing that compromise, they go to the friends - and you know the Palestinians are part of the Arab world. They have all the 22 countries, and then they have the Muslim world behind them. So they have a majority in the non-aligned organization. They can pass any resolution there, and then with that huge body, they go to the UN, and can say that the world is square. And nobody will say, because they say that they are a poor people; they deserve everything. 'Let's help them.' Is that help in our eyes? No."
Jules Vasquez
"You will agree that it is Israel, who has aggressed within the Gaza Strip, and it is Israel who has defied UN Conventions - the 4th Geneva Convention comes to mind. There have been so many resolutions - dozens - admonishing the Israeli's for encroachments upon what is agreed to be Palestinian territory."
Shmulik A. Bass
"There is no agreement, yet, on Palestinian territory. There is no Palestinian State, yet. There is nothing like that. The fact is that many people around world talk about it. It doesn't make it real."
Jules Vasquez
"Will Israel reconsider its relationship with Belize - the visa waiver program, the technical assistance - in light of the fact that Belize has made a decision which is expressly against the sovereign interests of the Israeli State?"
Shmulik A. Bass
"No, I don't think so. We look at ourself, and we see the friendship between the people, the friendship between the governments. We understand the pressures in this area, in this region, of the Arab world, of other organizations or countries. We understand that it was not easy Belizean Government."
Further to a 2009 agreement, Israel is offering Belize technical assistance in a number of areas including security and agriculture.
Belize and Israel also have a visa waiver program - but it will not go into effect on the Israeli side until November of this year...
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