Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith
By Nakinskie Robinson
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith has hit back at criticisms that she evaded questions about Jamaica's position on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, at a function on Thursday.
This after she walked out during the question and answer segment of a special lecture headlined by South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr. Naledi Pandor, at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
Dr. Pandor is on a four-day visit where she will be engaged in discussions with the government and civil society.
A 20-second clip posted by a user on X, purported that a Palestinian-Jamaican intended on posing questions to both the Minister and Dr. Pandor, but was not able to do so, as Minister Johnson Smith left.
But the Minister defended her departure, labelling the video's narrative as unfortunate and a misrepresentation.
Minister Johnson Smith said the event went beyond the time for which she would have been available as she had to be present for a CARICOM Heads of Government meeting on Haiti.
She said she had also advised the relevant personnel of her need to leave.
She added that both the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Technical Director remained at the session in the event that any questions were posed to the Jamaican government, for which she disclosed that there were none.
She also reaffirmed Jamaica's position on the conflict, sharing statement's issued by the country and CARICOM, earlier this year, condemning the ongoing violence in Gaza as well as support for South Africa's case brought against Israel in the International Court of Justice, last year.
South Africa accused Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention, which saw the top court ordering Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.
Some X users slammed the Minister for abruptly leaving the meeting, while others have come to her defence.
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