GHRA Calls on Guyana to Renew Condemnation of Israel Over Gaza Crisis

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is urging the Government of Guyana to break its silence and take a principled stand on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that continued inaction threatens to erode the very international legal protections that Guyana relies upon to defend its sovereignty.

In a statement issued on July 9, the GHRA reminded the public that Guyana was among the 124 nations that voted in favour of a landmark United Nations General Assembly resolution in September 2024. The resolution gave Israel a 12-month deadline to end its “unlawful presence” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of Gaza and imposed a range of legal and economic obligations on signatory states—including freezing assets, halting arms sales, and pursuing investigations into alleged war crimes.

Nearly a year later, the GHRA says there has been little meaningful follow-up, and countries like Guyana can no longer afford to remain passive observers. “Silence and failure to challenge the continued destruction of Gaza and the accelerating genocide of the Palestinian people renders signatory countries like Guyana complicit in the atrocities,” the organisation stated. “Inaction amounts to compliance.”

The group emphasised that while Israel is not a major trading or diplomatic partner of Guyana, symbolic and political gestures still matter. It pointed to actions by other small nations, such as banning Israeli-flagged vessels or discouraging tourism, as examples of how countries with limited economic ties can still assert moral leadership.

The GHRA’s appeal takes on added urgency in light of Venezuela’s renewed claims to the disputed Essequibo region. The organization drew a stark comparison between Israel’s territorial expansion in Gaza and Venezuela’s claim over Guyanese territory, arguing that both are cases of unlawful aggression that threaten smaller nations.

Guyana’s only real defense against Venezuelan encroachment is international law and the authority of the International Court of Justice, the GHRA noted. By failing to uphold these same principles in Gaza, Guyana weakens its own moral and legal position , the agency contends

The group also highlighted the moral cost of inaction, noting that both former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed support for the complete removal of Palestinians from Gaza—a scenario the GHRA warned could lead to the territory’s transformation into an exclusive enclave for Israeli settlers.

In a gesture of humanitarian solidarity, the GHRA suggested that Guyana—widely regarded as the “breadbasket of the Caribbean”—could make a symbolic rice donation to Gaza, recently described by the United Nations as “the hungriest place on earth.”

“Even a modest gesture would signal Guyana’s commitment to international justice and human dignity,” the group said.

The GHRA concluded its statement by calling on the government to match its previous strong words at the UN with meaningful action. Reiterating condemnation is not only morally justifiable, but in Guyana’s own self-interest, the agency argues. GHRA expresses concern that the credibility of international law cannot be selectively applied.