This morning Christchurch City became the first city in New Zealand to sanction Israel after passing a resolution to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
“We are delighted the council has taken a stand against Israel’s ongoing theft of Palestinian land”, says PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“It has been the failure of western governments to hold Israel to account which means Israel has a 76-year history of oppression and brutal abuse of Palestinians.”
“Today Israel is running riot across the Middle East because it has never been held to account for 76 years of flagrant breaches of international law,” says Minto.
“The motion passed by Christchurch City today helps to end Israeli impunity for war crimes” (Building settlements on occupied land belonging to others is a war crime under international law)
“The motion is a small but significant step in sanctioning Israel. Many more steps must follow”.
“We are particularly pleased the council rejected the red herrings and obfuscations of New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes who urged councillors to reject the motion”
“Mr Kepes presentation was a repetition of the tired, old arguments used by white South Africans to avoid accountability for their apartheid policies last century – policies which are mirrored in Israel today”
Before the vote PSNA National Chair John Minto and University of Canterbury lecturer Josephine Varghese spoke in favour of the motion backed by a packed public gallery displaying a “Stop the genocide” banner.
“It would be nice to think the government would pick up resolution 2334 and show leadership in sanctioning Israel rather than leaving it to local bodies”
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Wow!!
Yes, probably those companies building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land don’t even feature on CCC’s procurement list….
I was going to comment but this is all so inconsequential what is the point . .
Yeah, get that what we say is indeed futile. Breaking heart for Gaza. Thanks ChCh. Showing up for what is right.
Roughly speaking, how many Israeli building maintenance or construction firms are operating in the Christchurch City area?
None now. Any long journey starts with the first step.
Ada – Virtue signaling springs to mind…The council must do its’ job and not get involved in Middle East tensions.
Well who would want Israeli construction companies anyway. They’d build you a tunnel complex, forget about, and then righteously claim they’d uncovered a major tunnel network.
Wheel – Good humour…thank you.
Those smuggler tunnels pre date Israel – used during the Ottoman Empire days.
Kia Kaha ma fa’amalosi Otautahi…CHEEEEHOOO!!!
WOW!
I’m sure Israel is quivering in its boots.
(How’s about Christchurch council just sticks to its day job?)
They mostly do that very well also which would explain why they had the intelligence to discern what is appropriate unlike the negative people like you who do not place any value on innocent human lives.
Unfortunately Bonnie, I have my experience on the earthquake recovery that says otherwise.
Talk about country cousins! Their insurance claims failed because they hadn’t kept a competent asset register.
I have had plenty of experience with insurance claims and while some have been satisfactory overall the insurance companies use every excuse to limit their liability.
It was probably a conservative right voting management in the council that failed to have the required information so all your comment proves is that people like you should not be in power.
Andrew is that like building tunnels under hospitals and then claiming you have discovered them? Was it an asset register issue?
Fuck you you dick head
So after 76 years supporting the illegal Jewish invasion and theft of Palestine a NZ city has said we have stopped your annual two cans of bluff oysters order.
Nothing about having Israel leave Palestine entirely or the USA
leaving the middle east entirely.
Like trying to stop the Chicxulub impactor with a feather.
But that oyster order that will bring them to their knees
Obviously I would like Christchurch to take more substantial action- like ordering Council employees to bulldoze the American military base at Christchurch Airport without warning, ‘israeli’ style. But it’s a good start.
We’d love to send a nuclear bomb to tel Aviv, but hey its a start…
What a sad response from someone who clearly knows and understands the theft of Palestinian land.
Meantime what are you doing about the issue?
I’m sure the guy running the dairy with the Taami bar on Linwood Ave is really chastised now.
Proud of you
Excellent, many decades late, but something to celebrate.
✊
Creating no-go zones for Jews. What could possibly go wrong?
Aww, does it make you mad when people tell you they don’t want baby-rapers around?
Dark, dumb
This is virtue signalling par excellence. Let’s see whether they follow through.
The worlds a really really big place, im sure the 15.8 million of them can move to the US or Israel. Oh wait.
A step in the right direction.
Please get behind what Christchurch is doing. And get rid of the Genocide Ambassador in Wellington. And recall your own. Dad was a Jewish from Austria to NZ AOTEAROA. Once you have Palestinian friends, one wants change. Please see THE LAST SKY.
“Christchurch City became the first city in New Zealand to sanction Israel after passing a resolution to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.”
Any contractor seeking contracts with the Christchurch City Council to work on the city’s infrastructure, will have to ensure the Council that they will not be using Caterpillar machinery to do this work.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2023/10/24/israels-armored-caterpillar-bulldozers-will-be-active-in-gaza/
Commercial market D9s are imported to Israel by local Caterpillar dealer, Israeli Tractors and Equipment (ITE) part of the construction group, Zoko Enterprises. Working in conjunction with the IDF’s Technology and Maintenance Corps, Zoko/ITE and Israel Aerospace Industries add advanced armor to the bulldozers including slat armor (cage or standoff type armor) to base D9s….
….The D9Rs can be fitted with crew-operated machine guns and grenade launchers. The bulldozers also integrate the Active Protection Systems (APS) in use with the IDF’s Merkava tanks including Elbit Systems Iron Fist for which a contract was awarded in 2019…..
….one of war’s ironies is that machines designed as tools to facilitate human development are often just as effective in destroying it.
https://investigate.afsc.org/company/caterpillar
It’s the principal, Israelis are war criminals. At least we are making a point of speaking out about it clearly. Unlike the Americans who say they are against it, telling them to stop . And then through another avenue tell them the next shipment off bombs ,and missiles is on the way . (Hypocrites )
Yes
At least we made our message clear the Israelis are breaking international law . And I support that view.
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