Chris Luxon is missing in action while ethnic cleansing against Palestinians continues

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

c.luxon@ministers.govt.nz

Kia ora Mr Luxon,

We write to you as a matter of utmost urgency, with a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

The policy of appeasement towards Israel over the past year by western countries has failed miserably.  Israel has expanded its attacks and has abandoned all pretence of any sort of negotiated settlements.

Our government is holding on desperately to a hopelessly weak and indefensible policy towards the Middle East. I have no doubt you know this.

Israel is running riot with endless bombing and killing as it spreads murder and mayhem.  The majority of victims in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank are women and children – tens of thousands of children.

You and I know this would never be tolerated if the victims were European.

The situation has now become even more desperate and deadly with

• Israel has refused to allow any food or supplies to be delivered since the beginning of this month to northern Gaza.  It has again unleased its firepower with absolute impunity on refugee camps and other civilian areas with the openly stated aim of ethnic cleansing of the majority of the 400,000 Palestinians who remain there.
• Israel’s delivery of its threat to turn Lebanon into another Gaza, with attacks throughout the country, including Christian areas.
• Israel’s endless attempts to widen the war across the region into Iran with repeated violations of its sovereignty until Iran responded – though without a single Israeli casualty.
• Israel’s blatant attacks on UNIFIL positions and demands that UNIFIL withdraw from its mission to allow Israeli military advances further into Lebanon to achieve regime change for a Lebanese government subservient to its interests.

Despite all that has happened over 12 months you have issued only platitudes “calling an all sides to exercise restraint” and condemnation of all parties Israel decides that is its enemies.

You have failed to condemn Israel for anything it has ever done against the Palestinian victims of its settler colonial project and yet you have condemned every act of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

Other countries, the UK, France, Spain, Norway, and Ireland have spoken out and taken, albeit token, action to remind Israel that it is operating outside international law.

History will condemn your 12 months of complicit silence but action now can make a real difference and saves tens of thousands of innocent lives. A minimum list of actions includes:

1. Condemn Israeli action against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank as war crimes
2. Join South Africa’s case of proving genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice
3. Implement the recent obligations specified by the ICJ under the Geneva Conventions towards ending Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
4. Identify and ban imports of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
5. End procurement of goods and services from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements
6. Direct the Superfund, ACC and Kiwisaver providers to divest from companies on the UN list
7. Investigate the export of Rakon Industry components which are incorporated into US weapons which almost inevitably end in the industrial-scale killing of Palestinians.
8. Immediately close the Israeli embassy as Israel’s propaganda and lobby outlet in New Zealand
9. Clearly and publicly state that NZDF personnel in the Middle East will neither participate in nor provide assistance to either US or Israel attacks or preparations for attacks on Iran
10. Publicly join other countries in condemning the Israeli military attack on UNIFIL and demand of Israel that it will cease to demand UNIFIL withdraw from any of its positions in Lebanon
11. Reiterate New Zealand’s participation in UNTSO and demand that Israel allow UNTSO continue its work unmolested
12. Demand Israel revoke its declaration that the UN Secretary General is persona non grata in Israel.
13. Note and support this UN report https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks

Please respond to this letter urgently.

Nā,

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa