David Robie also blogs at Café Pacific
Asia Pacific Report on the continuing protests against the War on Gaza:
About 20 pro-Palestinian protesters have picketed New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) office in Auckland, demanding a stronger stance by the government against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza and for an immediate ceasefire.
They carried placards, posters and banners declaring “Food not bombs for the tamariki [children] of Gaza”, “Israel end your apartheid” and “Grant the visas”, referring to a call for special humanitarian visas for Palestinians victimised by the war.
A delegation of four protesters tried to gain access to MFAT’s office yesterday in Quay Street, near the Viaduct, to deliver a message for Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters.
Security guards denied them entry but agreed to “pass on” their protest message.
Condemning the failure of MFAT officials to meet them in the office or come down to the protest, Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) spokesperson Neil Scott said through a loudhailer: “Not even one person from MFAT would come down.”
Scott criticised the New Zealand government and Foreign Affairs Minister Peters for failing to condemn Israeli apartheid, saying this was globally proven.
He cited at least six damning international reports on Israeli apartheid, including the 2021 B’Tselem (Israeli NGO) report “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid” and the 2022 Amnesty International report “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians – cruel system of domination and crime against humanity”.
He also called on the New Zealand government to expel the Israeli ambassador.
Scott contrasted the weak stance of the New Zealand government which has so far failed to condemn Israel over its atrocities with other countries that have been outspoken in their condemnation.
At least 10 countries, including Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Jordan, Honduras, South Africa and Turkey, have recalled their ambassadors to Israel or severed ties altogether.
South Africa’s International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has also announced that nationals who have served with the Israeli military would be prosecuted upon re-entering the country.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have previously picketed the Television New Zealand and Radio NZ offices in Auckland calling for “truthful” unbiased news on the Gaza war.
Helicopter fires on aid seekers
At least 20 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150 wounded in northern Gaza City after Israeli forces attacked a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian assistance in latest developments, reports Al Jazeera.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has called the attack “a new, premeditated massacre”.
At least 31,341 Palestinians have now been killed and 73,134 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.
The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack stands at 1,139 with dozens taken captive.
Meanwhile, Hamas has announced that a new truce proposal has been submitted to mediators in Egypt and Qatar, and outlines its “view on the prisoner swap”.
Reports said that the offer involved an initial release of Israelis including women, children, elderly and ill captives in exchange for the release of 700-1000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Wow…down to 6-8 protesters now, how engaging!
Yes it doesn’t resemble a protest when less than a dozen people turn up.
My immediate family is larger.
Both Australia and Canada, countries which are arguably even more subverted by zionists than New Zealand, have lifted their suspensions on funding to the UNRWA.
The EU’s humanitarian aid chief has even admitted that ‘israel’ didn’t even provide any evidence to them- even fake evidence- for their silly accusations that UNRWA worked with the democratically elected government of Palestine. So MFAT are just doing this completely on the say so of their foreign masters.
The only conclusion that one can take is that MFAT and Winston Peters are even more dedicated to helping the zionists murder Palestinians than the EU, Canadian, and Australian regimes are. That’s a really, really high bar to pass. Just how many home videos of Winston and a live *** or dead **** did Ran Yaakoby record on Winston’s visits to the ‘israeli’ ’embassy’?
MK ridiculous.
Has the Chief Executive resigned for dismissing workers “without evidence” then?
If you have problem with Israel, why damage govt property in NZ. No whanau of there’s should be given visa to NZ, it will just encourage and reward this misbehavior, and create more civil unrest in the future. Maybe they can move to countries that have condemned Israel.
MFAT aren’t working for the people of New Zealand. They’re entirely subverted by alien foreigners.
Yeah, the Muslim Brotherhood is everywhere isn’t it Mohammed.
Instead of ‘Red’s under the bed’ Hamas under the house?
Hamas can stop the war today. Israel cannot stop until the cause of war is defeated.
Why are New Zealand cinemas screening the Zionist propaganda movie Golda while the Zionists are bombing Gaza and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians?
I’m all in favour of free expression, but the timing is, to put it mildly, inappropriate.
https://www.haaretz.com/magazine/2023-09-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/guy-nattivs-golda-the-truth-is-trampled-for-the-sake-of-a-fake-narrative/0000018a-935f-da3c-adab-f35f9bac0000
I’ve never heard of this Zionist group in Gaza, but the Dughmush clan have declared that “members of Hamas are a legitimate target”