As fighting intensifies in Israel, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne has confirmed a T&T national studying there has been safely evacuated from that country.
Dr Browne didn’t identify the student because he did not have permission from her parent to do so, but did indicate she was a teenager studying in Israel.
By 4 pm local time yesterday, the teen was on a flight out of Tel Aviv bound for London.
“She will be met by our diplomatic staff, and subsequently safely conveyed to her mother’s arms here in Trinidad and Tobago,” Browne said in an interview with Guardian Media.
He said he spent the weekend working to have her safely removed after her mother reached out to him, given the outbreak of military hostilities between the Israelis and Palestinians in that country.
“We have been working on this issue with the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, via the permanent secretary and our Consular Affairs Division in collaboration with our diplomatic team in London at our high commission there, as well as some excellent contacts with the European Union via the EU ambassador in Port-of-Spain,” Browne explained.
But he was mostly grateful the girl’s mother reached out early.
“The mother has been in regular contact with me and our consular team throughout, and has demonstrated excellent attributes and actions as a concerned parent,” he said.
Browne said if any national has a family member seeking assistance given the dire circumstances in Israel, they can:
Email: ttnationalsisrael@foreign.gov.tt
Call: (868) 285-5029, ext. 2199
But the teenager was not the only Trinidadian who experienced the trauma of the attacks in Israel.
One national, who only wanted to be identified as Alena, lives in a town not far from the capital of Jerusalem.
With Saturday’s surprise incursion of Hamas militants into Israel leading to the murders of hundreds of innocent civilians, her peaceful world has turned upside down.
Describing the escalation of violence by Hamas, Alena said it is unprecedented and the worse massacre of civilian life on record there.
Alena, who has been in Israel for 20 years building a new life for herself and her family, described what has happened since the attacks started, saying one man she knew lost six members of his family.
“It hits hard in every direction ... whole villages had to be evacuated—they’re now battlegrounds. People are displaced all across the country, looking for places to stay. We got word from one gentleman that lost six members of his family in one of the kibbutzim.
“Grandparents and children are being literally murdered in their homes, without mercy,” she said in tears.
Moreover, fears of the economic consequences that will spring during and after the war alarm her.
“The economic backlash of this is going to be severe. Nobody’s working right now, we can’t…” she said.
Remembering her time in Trinidad, she confessed the thought of returning home had crossed her mind due to the current conflict.
Despite the ongoing trauma tragedy, however, Alena said she will remain in Israel, and is hopeful peace will prevail between the Israelis and Palestinians in the end.
Meanwhile, Caricom yesterday condemned the violence in Israel saying, “The savage nature of the attacks and counter-attacks are the antithesis of civilised life and living.”
“(Caricom) abhors the attacks in Israel and the counter-attacks in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Further, the savage nature of the attacks and counter-attacks are the antithesis of civilised life and living. Innocent lives are being lost amidst the fervour and violence of the actual combatant,” a statement said.
Caricom also said the recent round of hostilities reflects the pain and suffering of ancient quarrels, adding the ongoing harsh conditions under which the Palestinians live will contribute to a cycle of violence until those realities are definitively addressed.
It said it will continue to push for a two-state solution as the best way to achieve comprehensive peace, security and tranquillity between Israel and Palestine.
