The New Zealand government has refused consular support to New Zealand Human Rights worker Julie Webb-Pullman who needs government permission to return to her humanitarian work in the Israeli-besieged territory of Gaza, Palestine.
Julie has spent the past eight years in Gaza and was in New Zealand in recent months to raise funds for the Gaza Human Rights Centre which is gathering evidence of war crimes to present to the International Criminal Court.
However, on her return to Gaza this week she has been told at the Egyptian border that she needs New Zealand government permission to enter GAZA.
Despite numerous appeals to the government through Foreign Affairs, she has been refused outright and Julie is stuck in Egypt in a New Zealand-imposed limbo.
“New Zealand is knowingly colluding not only in the oppression of Palestine, but also in the process of de-development underway since the Gaza siege was imposed in 2007, whereby skills and infrastructure are systematically destroyed, undermined and otherwise obstructed in their development”, says Julie.
Foreign Affairs say they cannot give permission because they have a travel advisory against travel to Gaza. However, Julie is not a tourist to Gaza. She has lived in Gaza for the past eight years, has a full-time job there along with an apartment and all her household and personal effects.
The only winner here is the Israeli government which is doing its best to avoid accountability for war crimes and maintains a medieval siege of Gaza which it polices with unbridled brutality. Over the past year for example over 200 unarmed Palestinian protestors, many of them children, have been killed in Gaza during resistance marches to demand the end of Israel’s brutal siege.
This is a sorry day for New Zealand where a gutless government decision represents a betrayal of Palestinians.
New Zealand government claims to be “even-handed” in dealings with the Middle-East. This is untrue. We have strong relations with Israel but only token dealings with Palestinians.
The truth is that if you piss off the Jews they will monster you. Every party knows this.
Careful with language!
You mean ‘the Zionists’
Not all Jews are Zionists by any means. and not all Zionists are Jews.
“Julie is not a tourist to Gaza. She has lived in Gaza for the past eight years, has a full-time job there along with an apartment and all her household and personal effects.”
Possibly, if she could get into direct contact with Winston, even by phone? And just keep it very simple, stating the facts above. Something like that might be a way through?
It sounds like Israel is donating to the NZF foundation.
People should raise the matter with the Labour Party and Green Party and then if the replies are inadequate, refer the matter onto international organisations.
Funnily enough I wrote to Winston in support*..here’s the reply..very much what she would receive I’d imagine
“Dear Correspondent,
On behalf of Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister of Foreign Affairs, thank you for your email of 2019.
The New Zealand Government’s position on facilitating travel for New Zealand citizens is the same for all countries and regions. If we advise against travel to a particular country or region, then we will not provide facilitation for New Zealand citizens to travel there, regardless of the purpose of their travel. Accordingly, it is not possible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to facilitate entry to Gaza in line with the Ministry’s SafeTravel advice https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories to New Zealand citizens not to travel to Gaza due to the unpredictable security situation, threat of kidnapping and potential for military operations. We also advise New Zealanders currently in Gaza to depart as soon as it is safe to do so. The New Zealand Government has an extremely limited ability to provide assistance to New Zealand citizens in Gaza. The Ministry is also unable to intervene in another country’s visa or immigration requirements. Any request to gain entry into Gaza needs to be made directly to the relevant authorities by the person concerned.
More information about the consular assistance available to New Zealanders overseas is available on the SafeTravel website: Our Services https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/our-services.”
Kind regards,
Office of Rt Hon Winston Peters
Deputy Prime Minister | Leader of New Zealand First | Minister of Foreign Affairs | Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control | Minister for State Owned Enterprises | Minister for Racing
L7.4 Executive Wing | Parliament Buildings | Wellington 6160 | New Zealand
* i am not personally involved in this issue, nor do I know Julie..simply a person who attended one of her talks and follow this struggle, and expect my Government officials to act fairly and without prejudice. nothing more, nothing less.
Julie Webb-Pullman needs NZ government permission to cross from Egypt to Gaza?
But she is a NZ citizen and besides has made that crossing before, several times at least I would guess.
So what’s going on?
I’ve been aware of Julie, and occasionally in contact with her, for many years. To me she is foremost an experienced journalist. She presents an excellent opportunity for NZ media to keep in contact with her and to share with the public, first hand reporting on what is going on Gaza.
Excellent decision by the NZ Govt. She is shamelessly working with a listed terrorist regime mired in racial and religious hatred whose manifesto states that its goal is genocide against the Jewish people. Gaza could have been a Singapore on the Mediterranean, but instead it is an impoverished terrorist enclave ruled by a brutal dictatorship…no elections since 2007. Hamas leaders of course, live in luxury on the handouts they get and largely spend on rockets/weapons instead of helping their people. Hamas is now facing war crimes for using civilians as human shields. Israel has every right to defend its sovereign borders and neutralise those whose stated aim is to breach them and murder civilians. Egypt also supports the blockade on Hamas, which is legal under International Law.
I hope you’re getting paid to write this filth Gaby – if not then get in touch with Act IL – they are always in the lookout for more trolls like you
John Minto has got you pegged. Your contribution is reminiscent of various online posts from the student troll farms the Israeli state runs.
Tourist or not. She is an NZer. “Foreign Affairs say they cannot give permission because they have a travel advisory against travel to Gaza” Thats why she cant get back in.
Our government collaborating against investigative journalism. Makes me sick that they get away with it.
Why the world is getting into a worse and worse state for human rights.
This is something the Greens could be lobbying for, but are they missing in action?
Even neoliberal Helen Clark had more guts on this issue than the current Labour when the Israelis got caught stealing NZ passports.
Meanwhile passport problems solved (sarcasm) with the current Labour who gives NZ passports and visas away and turns a blind eye to all the people operating under numerous identities being citizens/residents in NZ!
It is even worse that Labour get kudos for ‘They are us” for Muslims but only when it is easy to do so and not past the trivial.
Well the Natz would probably arrest her, Nicky Hager style. So labour being passive aggressive and doing nothing to help on the issue is just part of their MO.
Maybe if Julie Webb-Pullman smuggles in some drugs she will get Iain Galloway’s compassion or wants to bring an aged husband back, declined from immigration, she could get Chris Faaloi texting her… helping people in their own country and investigative journalism just doesn’t get the international accolades, in fact like the Panama papers journalist could just get you murdered in a car bomb.
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