Haiti before Israel: A Pan-African Perspective

By Jeffery Kazembe Batts
IG: @kazbatts
The Black perspective and interests must become part of American officials’ foreign policy and international relations agenda. Black people of African ancestry can be found on every continent, all over the world, often in the worst socio-economic conditions.

As is the case in the USA. Nonetheless, one might argue convincingly that Black people living in the USA collectively have more education, influence, and resources than any other group of Africans located in one nation on Earth.

That is why, in the tradition of Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Queen Mother Moore, African Americans must be more assertive and speak truth to power regarding the USA’s foreign aid and diplomatic engagement with Black places and spaces. The world is big but only ninety miles from Florida, which is a great place for African leaders to start and prioritize. Haiti can use Black people’s Pan-African assistance, including forcing the US government and corporations to do the right thing regarding the development of Haiti.

Recently, congress approved $100 billion dollars in foreign aid coming from our tax dollars. $65 billion for Ukraine, $26 for Israel, $ 9 billion for Taiwan. It is as if African people don’t exist and pay taxes. With the genocide in Sudan, exploitation and underdevelopment in large parts of the Congo, and violence and kidnappings in Nigeria, to mention a few areas, little money is set aside for Black development and humanitarian assistance!

We need $100 billion dollars for humanitarian assistance for Black nations! Many parts of Africa and other parts of the world where people of African ancestry dominate need attention, but in this essay, I will focus on Haiti. Contrasting the USA government’s relationship with Haiti compared to Israel.

There are some similarities between Haiti and Israel. Haiti has a population of about 11.5 million people. Israel’s population is about 10 million people. Haiti’s geographic area of 10,710 square miles is slightly above Israel’s area of 8,019 square miles. The Haitian state and people are often in conflict with the neighboring Dominican Republic state and people. The Israeli state and people are often in conflict with the Palestinian people both in Israel and in neighboring places.

There are major differences. Haiti’s GDP is a meager $25 billion with a per capita of $2,125. Haiti is a poor country. Israel’s GDP is a whopping $553 billion, with a per capita of $55,533. Israel is a much richer country. Haiti has a constitution, although it is often ignored and disrespected. Israel has no constitution!

Haiti is a mostly Christian country. Israel is a mostly Jewish country. Haiti is a nearby country that is the second republic in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1804. Israel is located on the other side of the world and was founded 144 years later in 1948.

During the American Revolutionary War hundreds of free Black men, the Les Chasseurs Volontaires de Saint Domingue, fought to capture Savannah, Georgia from Britain in 1779. Some of these soldiers would soon lead the revolution that created Haiti. At that time, what is now Israel did not exist. The land was part of the Ottoman Empire. In modern versus biblical times, Haiti came before Israel. Nonetheless, American respect and engagement with the states of Haiti and Israel has been and continues to be completely different.

Although General Jean-Jacquess Dessalines proclaimed Haiti as an independent and sovereign state on January 1st, 1804, the USA refused to recognize Haiti’s independence until 1862. Having many Black people in chattel slavery the USA establishment was terrified of the implications of a state controlled by free Africans. Fifty years later the USA occupied Haiti from 1915 – 1934, stealing resources and retarding the growth of the Haitian state.

The Zionist movement that eventually led to Israel started in Russia and was facilitated by England with the Balfour Declaration on November 2nd, 1917. Not in the lead, the USA played a supportive role during the building of Israel. On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the independence of the State of Israel. On that very same day, President Harry S. Truman recognized Israel.

Economically, although not recognizing Haiti’s independence, the USA nonetheless, during the mid-19th century, exported more goods to Haiti than to any other country in Latin America. But now, the economic relationship between Haiti and the USA consists mostly of the USA providing limited humanitarian aid. At the same time, U.S.-based corporations exploit the extremely low wages of the masses of people toiling in sweatshops.

Conversely in 1985 the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), became law, adding to several treaties and agreements that foster a strong bilateral economic relationship between the USA and Israel. The annual $50 billion trade relationship is encouraged by universities, elected officials, political action committees and prominent American and Israeli persons.

In recent times, the USA overthrew the only popularly elected Haitian president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, and has continued to trample and interfere with Haitian sovereignty ever since. Allowing weapons to be smuggled into Haiti and shot-calling who wins fraudulent elections. Meanwhile, Israel is by far the largest recipient of American foreign aid year after year.

The mid-East state disregards American priorities and policy with imprudence, such as regarding Palestinian control of the West Bank and Gaza. “Now is the Time” for African-American leadership and all justice-seeking people to stand with Haiti.

A coalition of progressive activists, led by pan-Africanists like myself, is calling for political action. The NYC metropolitan area has more people of Haitian ancestry than any other American metropolitan area, including Miami! New York City can help facilitate a USA foreign policy that uplifts people of African ancestry, including Haitians.

We are pushing for the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams to have a hearing about the future of Haiti at City Hall before Labor Day. Whatever comes out of such hearings should then be forwarded to the Congressional Black Caucus to be discussed at their annual weekend gathering in mid-September.

Haiti before Israel when it comes to diplomatic focus and allocation of foreign aid from a pan-African perspective. Let’s make Malcolm, Martin, and Marcus proud.