In the weeks following the October 7 military operations by various resistance groups in the Gaza Strip, the Jamaican government not only issued several statements “condemning the attack on Israel”, but also missed a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote calling for a ceasefire in the region.

• The Jamaican Government said it "condemns in strongest terms" the October 7 military operation by the Palestinian resistance groups - Gleaner

• Jamaica did not vote in a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote approving a nonbinding resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, claimed “deliberations were still taking place when the vote was finalised.” - Gleaner

• While the government continued to face backlash for missing the October 27 UNGA vote, PM Andrew Holness said, “My heart goes out to the people of the Middle East who are in conflict now. Some of you may be watching your televisions and you're seeing the senseless killing of innocent people, civilians. Jamaica wishes to see peace and we want the human rights of all peoples respected. And those who have power have a greater responsibility to ensure that people's human rights are protected.” - Gleaner

Several members of the People’s National Party issued statements condemning the Holness Administration’s stance on the Gaza conflict, including calling for the resignation of Kamina Johnson-Smith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

• “PNP caretaker for South East St. Catherine, Dr. Alfred Dawes, says Jamaica effectively hid from the recent vote by the United Nations General Assembly on a ceasefire in the ongoing assault by Israel on Gaza. Dr. Dawes’ comment follows a statement from the PNP, bashing the government for failing to register the country’s position on such an important issue.” - Nationwide

• “PNP President Mark Golding labelled the government’s failure to vote on the resolution “shameful”. But Ms. Hanna has gone a step further in calling for Minister Johnson-Smith to resign over Jamaica’s no-show on the UN vote. According to Ms. Hanna, it goes against the identity of Jamaica as a nation to have missed the vote on humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza. […] Mr. Golding backed Ms. Hanna’s call for the minister to step aside.” - Nationwide

• “Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, Dr. Angela Brown Burke, says the government has been too silent in relation to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.” - Nationwide

It should also be noted that the PNP has historically supported the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• In the 67th session of the UNGA, former Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller said in a speech, “We continue to urge the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to resume negotiations as early as possible, based on the two-state solution and relevant United Nations resolutions. These address Israel’s right to exist within secure borders as well as the aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination and statehood.” - JIS

• Then ambassador-designate of Israel to Jamaica, Bahij Mansour, expressed that the Israeli government was disappointed with Jamaica's vote in favour of the November 2012 UNGA resolution upgrading Palestine to a non-member observer state in the UN. Mansour then went on to say that Israel “remains committed to maintaining a strong bond with Jamaica.” - Gleaner

Whether due to backlash from the Jamaican public or to pressure from within the political spheres, the Holness administration subsequently called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip both in coordination with CARICOM in November 2023 and in a UN vote in December 2023.

• The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in November 2023, saying it “condemns any disregard for international humanitarian law, human rights and the laws of war that have resulted in the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and deprivation of access to basic necessities including medical care for the people of Palestine.” - Gleaner

• Jamaica, after missing the October 2023 UNGA resolution calling for a "humanitarian truce" in Gaza, was one of 153 countries that voted in favour of the December 2023 non-binding resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. - Observer

However, the October 2023 UNGA vote was not the first time the Holness administration failed to participate in a vote regarding Palestinian-Israeli affairs as the first instance of this occurred in January 2017.

• “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked his Jamaican counterpart for his country’s refusal to participate in the UNESCO vote that ignored Jewish ties to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. “Our relations are always friendly. We appreciate the fact that you didn’t join the recent vote against Israel, the absurd vote in UNESCO,” Netanyahu told Andrew Holness during his three-day visit to Israel.” - Times of Israel

In December 2017, Jamaica and several other Caribbean nations chose to abstain in a key United Nations General Assembly vote condemning the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Pressure from various actors in the United States may have played a part in these nations’ actions.

• Jamaica was among 35 countries – including several other Caribbean nations - which abstained in the December 2017 UNGA vote to reject former US President Donald Trump’s decision to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel. This vote had overwhelming support from UN member states, having garnered 128 votes in favour. - Gleaner

• In a letter to all UNGA member states, former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said, “The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested that I report back on those who voted against us.” Former US President Trump said, “For all these nations that take our money and then vote against us […] we’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us, we’ll save a lot. We don’t care.” These statements came before Jamaica’s abstention in the December 2017 UNGA vote on a resolution opposing the US’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. - Observer

• When asked why Jamaica abstained from the December 2017 UNGA vote, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, "Jamaica did not need to take a position on another country's position on where they would want to see as a capital in the world.” He then went on to claim that “Jamaica conducts its foreign policy on principle. We are not conducting foreign policy for aid or for special benefits, so I want to make that position very clear to the Jamaican people.” - Gleaner

Various members of the PNP also inquired about and criticised the Holness administration’s stance in the December 2017 UNGA vote.

• When then Opposition Senator KD Knight asked the government about their position on Trump’s declaration, Knight was in turn asked by then Acting President of the Senate Aubyn Hill whether the declaration represented a change. “Knight responded by telling Senator Hill that East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, and that the Trump declaration now makes all of Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish state.” - Loop News

• Former PM of Jamaica PJ Patterson said that Jamaica’s abstention from the December 2017 UNGA vote was a “withdrawal of leadership on an important issue, for which the country has long been known.” He said that Jamaica “never reaped any substantial or lasting benefits from grovelling or genuflection” and went on to state: “The Non-Aligned and the Developing World will question whether we have lost our sense of international morality.” - RJR

Furthermore, from January 2017 onwards, the Holness administration has made a concerted effort to strengthen diplomatic and trade ties with Israel. Special note must be made to Senator Aubyn Hill who not only sought Israeli expertise for several of these endeavours but also spoke in support of the Israel Defence Forces’ actions in the Gaza Strip.

• In January 2017, Prime Minister Andrew Holness became the first leader of a Caribbean nation to ever visit Israel. Holness also invited Netanyahu to visit Jamaica. Netanyahu said, “I think this is the first visit ever by a prime minister of Jamaica to Israel, so it has a double significance for us.” - Times of Israel

• “Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has signalled that his administration is open to establishing a framework for cooperation with Israel on national security issues such as cybersecurity.” - Gleaner

• Michael Lee-Chin said he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to set up a meeting with the principals of the leading companies in the Middle East country.” He asked, “’Please, Prime Minister, can you help us do that - organise the 50 top companies in Israel and I'll come back in the next two months and speak to them and tell them why they should come and invest in Jamaica’?” - Gleaner

• “Jamaica and Israel pledged to deepen cooperation in the area of trade, particularly as it relates to Jamaican products such as coffee. The Minister and the Ambassador also agreed that both countries should explore cooperation in cyber security, agriculture and the health sector.” - MFAFT

• During a panel discussion, Senator Aubyn Hill spoke about cybersecurity being a critical area for young Jamaican citizens to be reskilled into. He then cited Israel as a country which recognizes the importance of cybersecurity. - MIIC

• Speaking as Executive Director of the Economic Growth Council, Senator Aubyn Hill said that work was being done on the development of a special diaspora bond and expressed that “the EGC and, by extension, Government would benefit from the expertise of the Israeli Government’s Bond Director, Gideon Sitterman.” - JIS

• At a pre-Hannukah celebration at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, Senator Aubyn Hill declared his support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Palestine. - Gleaner

The following articles show how the Jamaican government has partnered with the Israeli government and various private Israeli companies to improve its technological capabilities.

• Former Israeli ambassador to Jamaica Moshe Sermoneta said that Israel “is interested in helping Jamaica solve its energy crisis.” He suggested that Jamaica could benefit from Israel’s advancements in renewable energy technology. - Gleaner

• “Cabinet will next week be asked to approve a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Jamaica and Israel Aerospace Industries, concerning the creation of the Caribbean’s first ever Cyber Academy.” - Gleaner

• Speaking about the Government’s potential use of Israeli cybersecurity technology, then MP Peter Bunting said, “We also hear that a number of these Israeli firms have provided this software capability, this intelligence capability to governments who have used it to spy on their political opponents, to governments who have used it to spy on media, to governments who have used it to spy on human rights activities.” He then went on to say, “This is software that can… be used to infect the phone… read your WhatsApp messages, and reveal what is on your phone. So essentially, they use your phone to spy on you…” - Observer

• “Israeli-based Pangea IT, which specialises in the digital transformation of government and business services, has been awarded a tender from the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) to replace the biometric system for the country’s voter registry. The deal includes the complete build out of an advanced biometric system, training, and maintenance services.” - Observer

• “Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz led a joint delegation with the Ministry of National Security to Israel to explore opportunities for Jamaica-Israel bilateral collaboration on renewable energy and cybersecurity. The visit included meetings with the Israeli Minister of Energy Karine Elharrar, the ministry's chief scientist, Dr Gideon Friedmann, and technocrats from the foreign ministry as well as a working trip to Israel's Cyber Capital Beer Sheva.” - Observer

The following articles show how the Jamaican government has been collaborating with the Israeli government in the field of agriculture.

• Fifteen students from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) were selected to travel to Israel “to pursue an 11-month international programme aimed at exposing them to advanced technology and training in agriculture.” Living on different farms, the students pursued studies in multiple courses including “animal science, basic business management skills, computer skills and Israel’s history and culture.” - MIIC

• Speaking about a series of orientation programmes in Israel “aimed at exposing participants to advanced farming technologies and techniques”, Audley Shaw said “It is a three-week to one-month programme in Israel. It is good for our young people to go to Israel to learn the technology and see what they are doing and bring that back to Jamaica. We have to learn from others. We must tap into what they do to achieve wealth creation.” - JIS

• “Jamaica and Israel pledged to deepen cooperation in the area of trade, particularly as it relates to Jamaican products such as coffee. The Minister and the Ambassador also agreed that both countries should explore cooperation in cyber security, agriculture and the health sector.” - MFAFT

Special note must be made of Isratech Jamaica Limited, an Israeli-owned firm based in Jamaica, and the level of control they have over agricultural technology and the distribution of water in Jamaica as well as their connections with firms in Israel.

• In 1985, Shalom Hadora started Isratech after working with an Israeli firm on a failed winter vegetables project at Springs Plains. Originally, it offered Israeli irrigation technology to private farms. Now, not only have they grown to provide “project implementation services, water and waste water systems equipment, supply and maintenance as well an alternative energy division focused on solar PV power systems and solar water heaters”, but they also export products to other Caribbean countries such as the Dominican Republic. - Gleaner

• Isratech Jamaica Limited stated that they are connected with many companies from Europe, the US, and Israel, including Israeli firm Rivulis which they have been partnered with since 1985. - Isratech

• Audley Shaw indicated that Jamaicans need to make more use of Israeli technology, saying: “We are not taking adequate advantage of the technology and the technologies that they (Isratech) have brought to agriculture in Jamaica. The drip-irrigation system that they are producing – all these drip-irrigation pipes and the whole technology of it – I wish I was able to tell you that the number one market for it in the Caribbean is Jamaica.” - Gleaner

• Giving the keynote address at the opening ceremony for Isratech Jamaica Limited’s retail outlet and complex in Reading, St. James, then Minister Audley Shaw “urged farmers to take advantage of the products manufactured and supplied by Isratech to get their lands irrigated, especially for farms cultivated on slopes.” - JIS

The following articles show how the National Water Commission has partnered with a private Israeli firm, Miya, in an endeavour to maximise their revenue by reducing “non-revenue” water.

• “The Government of Jamaica is vowing to take strong action to stamp out revenue losses at the National Water Commission (NWC), announcing that an Israeli firm will be hired to target the loss of so-called "non-revenue" water.” - RJR

• “Jamaica has signed a $42.5m contract with Israel based water company Miya to reduce wastage of potable water in the country which has been suffering from a prolonged drought.” - Water-Technology

• “The National Water Commission (NWC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the HEART Trust/NTA and Israel-based company, Miya, for the training and capacity building for its management and staff.” - Observer

• In November 2012, it was stated that Isratech was the sole distributer of Chromagen solar water heaters in the Caribbean. Furthermore, Isratech stated that they would continue importing the parts for the heaters from Chromagen Limited in Israel after importing the finished product from Israel for two decades. - Gleaner

The following articles show how the Jamaican government has partnered with the Israeli government and various Israeli security firms to develop its security framework.

• The Jamaican Cabinet was to “be asked to approve a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Jamaica and Israel Aerospace Industries, concerning the creation of the Caribbean’s first ever Cyber Academy.” - Gleaner

• Speaking about the Government’s potential use of Israeli cybersecurity technology, then MP Peter Bunting said, “We know the prime minister had taken a trip to Israel two years ago with his national security adviser, and two years' time we still can't hear what that trip was about. But what we now hear is that Israeli firms are providing cyber security capability to the Government.” - Observer

• Voicing the opposition’s concerns about how Israeli cyber security companies operate and whether the Jamaican Government was in any existing arrangements with these firms, Julian Robinson said, “But I believe we are all entitled to an assurance that the tools that are available to the government are not going to be misused or used in a way that’s different from their original intent.” He then went on to question whether Jamaica was a partner or had any collaboration with the Caribbean Israeli Institute for Cyber Defence, saying, “This is a centre which, as its purpose, provides cyber defence solutions for the Caribbean and to develop the capacity of information technology professions in law enforcement. It’s important to know whether we are part of that initiative and the extent of our involvement.” - Gleaner

• “The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says the Government of Israel, through its Ministry of Finance and the National Cyber Directorate, has joined the IDB to establish a new cybersecurity initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through a US$2 million contribution, the Washington-based financial institution said Israel is helping strengthen cybersecurity capabilities in the region.” - Observer

Special note must be made of Plan Secure Jamaica. This is a national security initiative that encompasses a wide range of focus areas including border security and cybersecurity, both of which have been the centre of multi-billion dollar government partnerships with the Israeli defence provider Elta Systems Ltd.

• “The Prime Minister noted that greater areas of cooperation will be pursued as it relates to the global threat to cyber security. “One of the leading nations in the world for cyber security is Israel. So I want it to be absolutely clear that we are cooperating with many countries around the world to build our capacity in all kinds of areas, which, when put together, form ‘Plan Secure Jamaica’,” he said.” - JIS

• “An undisclosed Israeli firm won a contract last year to provide cybersecurity equipment to the Government, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has confirmed without giving further details.” - Gleaner

• “The Jamaican Government, after months of silence, has disclosed that it has signed a five-year J$4-billion contract with the Israeli firm ELTA Systems Limited, but has sought to assure Jamaicans that they have nothing to fear. The disclosure and simultaneous assurance comes two months after a report by a technology website based in Israel revealed that ELTA’s servers were breached by Iranian-linked hackers.” - Gleaner