After a long, and - we gather - delicate deliberation on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Government has come down on the side of Palestine.
As you may have heard in international news, Palestine is going to the general assembly of the United Nations later this month to be recognized as a state.
That spells all kinds of troubles for Israel - which signed a visa waiver and technical assistance program with Belize in November of 2009.
And while over 120 nations recognize Palestinian statehood, Israel has been pressuring its allies not to do the same.
Surely, Belize has been in that group and two weeks ago - we asked the Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington about making the decision to take either Palestine or Israel's side.
Here's what he said:
Jules Vasquez
"Under your tenure, we have become a friendly nation with Israel. Which position will we take?"
Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Well, let me tell you the situation. Any decision and any position which I take is the position of the Government of Belize, because I take no position that is not endorsed by the Cabinet."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, however, as a small state in a dispute with a larger state, don't we naturally have an affinity - a proclivity - to support the Palestinian State and not the Israel state, which is the super state in this case? And it's also an occupationist state."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"In terms of the foreign policy of Belize, we try to do what is in our best interest. What we think is in the best interest is what guides us. We try to be very principled in terms of the international position that we take with respect to any state. I think we have shown ourselves to be very principled government, and we are not going to do anything that is not principled. We are going to make the right decision; I am sure of that."
Well, it's two weeks later and Cabinet has apparently made that decision. A release sent from the government today says that the Government of Belize has decided to formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign and independent State within its pre-1967 borders.
The release adds that this decision is consistent with Belize's long held position in support of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination in an independent, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, living side by side with secure and mutually recognized borders in peace and security with its neighbours.
The quest for Palestinian statehood recognition is strongly opposed by the United States
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