Israeli attacks on Masafer Yatta – New Zealand has spoken out once – we must speak out again
Late last month we welcomed New Zealand Ambassador to Egypt, Greg Lewis, speaking out against ethnic cleaning of Palestinians from Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron hills of the occupied West Bank.
Greg Lewis met with local Palestinians, including Sami Huraini from Youth of Sumud (Steadfastness) and heard directly the reality of Israel’s brutal ethnic cleansing policies.
Since then however, Israel has keep up harassment of local farmers and given active support to armed Israeli settlers in their attacks on residents of Masafer Yatta. Today that included an attack on Hafez Huraini (Sami’s father) where he was assaulted as he defended his land, was injured and then detained by the Israeli army.
We have forwarded this information to MFAT and asked that Aotearoa New Zealand follow up with a public statement condemning the Israeli actions.
“If New Zealand stays silent now it will send all the wrong messages; Israel will see it can continue its attacks on Palestinians at Masafer Yatta with impunity” says PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“It is important Aotearoa New Zealand continues to speak out as this is the only way to ensure Israel knows there will be some accountability for their racist policies”
“Palestinians should expect nothing less of a country which stood up against apartheid in South Africa”
The New Zealand media have reported nothing of Masafer Yatta – unlike the Australian Broadcasting Corporation which produced this excellent report on the situation at Masafer Yatta.
Well done John for keeping a focus on the horrors in Israel – a pity the the “West” does not rally in support of the Palestinians as they do for the Ukrainians (or at least the western-aligned lot). Never mind the inevitable trolls to follow.
Agree
Absolutely despicable that the friends of the entity in the media are covering up this disgusting crime.
The people of Masafer Yatta have, unlike the illegal zionist invaders, lived in Palestine since time immemorial. In 1948 with murder and rape and the bombing and burning of homes, the zionist home invaders drove them from their homes within the so-called ‘state’ of ‘israel’, and they resettled themselves in Masafer Yatta. In 1967 they treacherously attacked again, and stole even more land, including Masafer Yatta.
Now these psychotic monsters, having driven these people from their original homes, and persecuted them for decades, seek to ethnically cleanse them yet again. This is what it means when Jacinda says “Israel has a right to exist”, because as long as ‘israel’ exists, this is what these monsters will do to the people who ACTUALLY have a right to exist in Palestine. When you support criminals like this, you are a war criminal yourself.
Well, byp legally binding agreements ratified by 54 countries of League Nation both Gaza and Judea/Samaria renamed into West Bank by Jordan during occupation of 1948-1967 were part of Jewish national home and these agreements were never rescinded while there is absolutely no mention anywhere in Oslo Accords that Israel is prohibited to build new settlements.But nowhere it was ever stated that Arabs can illegally build anywhere they want without obtaining permits and that’s exactly what they are doing- 80000 illegal structures with financial assistance of EU in area C where Israel has full jurisdiction which obviously makes Palestinians illegal land grabbers in breach of everything they signed for