She also criticised the administration’s decision not to join other countries in walking out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address. “Jamaica has always been respected internationally for standing firmly on matters of justice and human rights,” Scott-Mottley said. “To be absent from the vote and to remain seated while others registered protest is a clear departure from that proud tradition. Our silence sends the wrong signal to the international community and to the Palestinian people who continue to suffer.”The senator dismissed the foreign minister’s explanation that Jamaica’s approach was consistent with diplomatic practice. She argued instead that the nation’s history shows a record of principle and moral leadership, citing past stances such as Jamaica’s opposition to apartheid South Africa and its advocacy for small states.