GUEST BLOG: Patrick John O’Dea – Bring NZDF Targetters Home
“shades of Iraq”
The Labour Party is condemning the coalition government’s deployment of Defence Force troops to the Middle East, saying it has “shades of Iraq”….
“We don’t think we should become embroiled in that conflict … which is part of a longer term civil war in Yemen and we think that New Zealand should stay out of this, there’s no UN resolution in favour of it … we don’t think we should get involved in a conflict in the Middle East.”
Labour Partyy foreign affairs spokesperson David Parker….
“horrified at this government’s decision to further inflame tensions in the Middle East”. Green Party leaders, Marama Davidson and James Shaw
On 7 April 2004, the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlined a five-point action plan for preventing genocide:
1. Prevent armed conflict, which usually provides the context for genocide;
2. Protect civilians in armed conflict, including through UN peacekeepers;
3. End impunity through judicial action in national and international courts;
4. Gather information and set up an early-warning system
5. Take swift and decisive action, including military action.*
*(My emphasis).
The Houthis would only halt their attacks if Israel’s “crimes in Gaza stop and food, medicines and fuel are allowed to reach its besieged population”,
As a general principal I don’t support the unilateral military action by Yemen’s Houthi rulers to attack shipping in the Red Sea to put pressure on the state of Israel and its allies to prevent genocide in Gaza.
Technically, according to the Genocide Convention Yemen’s Houthi rulers are within their rights to ‘take swift and decisive action, including military action’, to prevent genocide’.
There is no technical, moral, or legal basis, for Western nations, including New Zealand, to attack Yemen. Especially as none of these Western nations have taken any action to prevent genocide from being committed in Gaza by the state of Israel.
None of the Western Nations attacking Yemen, including New Zealand did anything when Israel conducted a deadly attack on civilian shipping in international waters. And still continues to violently attack aid vessels attempting to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.
Gaza Flotilla Raid
Coordinates: 32.64113°N 33.56727°E
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six civilian ships of the “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine activists were killed, some in the back of the head and at close range,[1]
ICJ Interim Ruling
On 26 January 2024 The International Court of Justice released its determination that the state of Israel has a case to answer to on the charge of committing genocide in Gaza.
The International Court of Justice’s Interim Measures to Prevent Genocide in Gaza
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-international-court-of-justice’s-interim-measures-to-prevent-genocide-in-gaza#
The interim order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case brought by South Africa requires Israel to take provisional measures to prevent acts of genocide and ensure humanitarian access to the population of Gaza….
1. Condemn Israel’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in Gaza
2. Call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza
3. Condemn the war crimes of collective punishment, forced displacement and denial of food, water and fuel to Palestinians in Gaza
4. Demand the unimpeded humanitarian aid to the people living in Gaza
Patrick O’Dea is a staunch Unionist and human rights activist
Labour could have done something to stop this. Hipkins could have asked for the genocide of the alien zionist occupiers against the native population of Palestine to be stopped. But he said he couldn’t, because apparently being a ‘caretaker’ means you have to support the zionists murdering Palestinian kids for fun. Interesting