A member of a Palestinian delegation en route from St Vincent to Panama was detained at Piarco on Saturday night, and his passport seized. But he was allowed to leave early yesterday morning.
Eight other members of the Palestinian delegation— whose passage through T&T had also been in doubt—were being allowed to pass through Trinidad yesterday evening.
This was confirmed by Hafeez Khan, of the Muslim Roundtable . He said he was contacted on the matter last Saturday by Palestine ‘s Ambassador to Venezuela and St Vincent. Khan notified National Security Minister Edmund Dillon of the situation.
Dillon told the T&T Guardian yesterday the matter was being handled by Foreign Affairs. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dennis Moses didn’t respond to calls or text yesterday.
Khan, who was kept in the loop on the matter by Palestine’s Ambassador, said the high powered Palestinian delegation was in St Vincent at the invitation of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
The ambassador and her husband —both based in Venezuela— also went to St Vincent, but returned to Venezuela by private plane, he added.
The delegation had come from Germany and passed through Panama and T&T en route to St Vincent last week, Khan said. He confirmed they’d had some “issues” when they passed through T&T then, but were allowed through.
“However, the delegation member who was seeking to pass through Trinidad last Saturday night to return to Panama was held. We’re told other international persons were also involved in speaking to him,” Khan said.
“However, the Vincentian Prime Minister said he spoke to (T&T’s ) Foreign Affairs Minister and it was advised all was well for the members to use Piarco to connect to their flight to Panama.”
Khan said the Palestine’s Ambassador was particularly concerned since eight other delegation members were scheduled to to pass through Piarco yesterday evening en route to Panama, “And there’d been word that T&T authorities had written St Vincent on Sunday morning— after the first member arrived— advising them not to allow any more members pass through T&T,”
“But the ambassador advised me that Prime Minister Gonsalves spoke to T&T Foreign Affairs and it was agreed to allow the eight to pass through T&T yesterday. They arrived and were being processed,” Khan said at 4. 44 pm yesterday.
Khan said the Palestinian Ambassador was very upset at the development, and he also felt disappointed. He said the situation has prompted the need for T&T to take a position on Palestine’s status.
“What happened was unfortunate as the Palestine issue is known internationally— they’re the victims of occupation by Israel. From what occurred in the current matter, it seems T&T authorities are toeing the US line and reacting to the US Trump administration’s moving of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. But the United Nations hasn’t done this,”
“The Muslim community here would therefore like to meet Foreign Affairs Minister to understand what problems there may be and what requirements are necessary if Palestinians have to pass through T&T,” Khan added.