Matthew Chin
Reporter
matthew.chin@guardian.co.tt
Six months into the Israel-Gaza war in which more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, Israel’s Ambassador to T&T Itai Bardov has expressed concern about misinformation about the conflict being circulated in this country.
Commenting on the pro-Palestinian views being expressed by many in this country, Bardov said: “I think there’s a lot of misinformation utilised by pro-Hamas, or pro-Palestinian elements, to distribute information that is really untrue.”
Among those who have recently commented on the conflict is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley who, in his Eid-ul-Fitr message, called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar also expressed concern for the Palestinians.
However, the ambassador, who is based in Panama, said his concern is about views being perpetrated by extremist elements in the country.
Noting that a small number of T&T nationals had joined ISIS, Bardov said: “We know there’s an ideology. It may be with a small group, but it should be a reason for concern.”
But while he noted the increasing calls in T&T for a permanent ceasefire in the Isarael-Gaza conflict, particularly from the local Muslim community, Bardov said he has also received many messages from T&T citizens expressing their support for the Jewish state.
He said he recently confronted a Caribbean leader on the notion that Israel is committing genocide.
“In regards to the word ‘genocide’ which is so easily used when it comes to Israel, I spoke with a leader from one of the Caribbean countries, and I asked, ‘Why do you call it a genocide? When you know that the numbers coming out from Gaza are all based on the Gazan health ministry, which is Hamas’” Bardov said.
The ambassador’s comments followed an unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran on Saturday with more than 300 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles.
The attack was a reprisal for Israel’s airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that resulted in the deaths of some of Iran’s highest-ranking revolutionary military guards.
Bardov said it was still being considered by Israel’s war cabinet as the country is collaborating with Arab states that are afraid of Iran.
“We are consulting the international community, allies, the Biden administration, but also countries in the region, Arab countries who are very afraid of Iran and what Iran is capable of doing, he said.
“If it wasn’t for Israel’s capabilities together with a regional coalition that managed to prevent the majority, ninety-nine per cent, of the projectiles that were launched against Israel, we would’ve seen a very different result.
“Remember this is the Middle East. The law sometimes is different. If Iran sees no reaction to what it did, this might encourage them to do it again, maybe in a bigger way and we have to do everything we can to make sure this does not happen because if it does an escalation to the situation will be so quick and so big, it will have global, not just regional, ramifications.” he said.