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A newly formed Belizean solidarity group, Liberation 9/21, has formally petitioned the Government of Belize to repeal the 2011 Order that allows Israeli passport holders to enter Belize without a visa. The petition was delivered yesterday to Minister of Immigration Kareem Musa. The Immigration Visa Relaxation Declaration currently grants Israeli nationals visa-free entry for up to 90 days. Liberation 9/21 argues that the policy should be withdrawn in light of international findings that the State of Israel has committed acts against Palestinians that meet the definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, of which Belize is a signatory. Dylan Vernon is one of the groups founding members.
Dylan Vernon, Member, Liberation 921: “First of all, tomorrow is the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people. And for us it was an opportune time to launch, a week to launch our petition. And how this petition came about was in September when Liberation 9 21 was formed we got formed out of a group of people who are concerned about the genocide in Palestine. And so one of our first actions was to launch a petition that in effect was showing solidarity with the people of Palestine by asking the government of Belize to remove the visa waiver for Israeli passport holders. And the situation is that right now, based upon a statutory instrument of 2011, any Israeli passport holder can enter Belize visa-free for 90 days, as so some other people can, some other Europeans, some Europeans and the U.S. citizens can. And what we’re saying is that we don’t want to prevent Israelis from coming to Belize but let’s require a visa so that Israelis can be vetted before they come into Belize or at the airport.”
According to the group, Israel’s compulsory military service raises concerns that individuals entering Belize under the visa waiver may have participated in or supported military operations in Gaza. They point to Belize’s own 2021 parliamentary resolution, which pledged national support for the prosecution of persons responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Vernon notes that removing the waiver would allow Belizean authorities to fully vet applicants to ensure they have no links to human rights violations.
Dylan Vernon, Member, Liberation 921:“That Liberation 9 21 has commended the government for its bold actions in what it has done so far to condemn the genocide that Israel is conducting in Palestine. It has broken diplomatic relations. It has joined in other cases, in this case, the South African case that is accusing Israel of genocide. It has a joined it at the ICJ, and the Prime Minister just this year made some very strong statements at the United Nations. So kudos to the government. We’re saying that this one additional step is one more that we could take that does not have that much, in a sense, risk, for the country. And it is one that in a sense we are obligated to take because of our international obligations and also our own national assembly resolution.”
764 people signed the petition since its launch on September 17. Liberation 9/21 says the support demonstrates that many Belizeans want stronger alignment between the country’s visa policies and its stated human rights commitments. The group also reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian people ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to be observed tomorrow, November 29. Liberation 9/21 was established in September, and advocates for justice, dignity, decolonization, social equity, and sustainable development in Belize and abroad. The founders of Liberation 9/21 are Christopher L. DeShield, Alanna Rosado, Kayla Young, Courtney Menzies, Dylan Vernon, Andre Habet, Marissa Cervantes, Jamal Andrewin, Jennifer Chapman, Diego Grajalez and Ashley McFadzean
English (US) ·