Labour’s Parker critical of weak NZ response to ICJ ruling against Israel over Gaza
Former New Zealand attorney-general David Parker spoke on day 295 of Israel’ genocidal war on Gaza in Auckland on Sunday, condemning the National-led coalition government’s inaction over the ongoing crisis.
Responding to the recent International Court of Justice’s landmark advisory ruling that Israel’s occupation of Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem — Occupied Palestine — was illegal and must end as soon as possible, Parker said he was disappointed in New Zealand’s “equivocal” response.
He also called on the government to recognise the state of Palestine, along with some 145 countries around the world that have already done so.
- READ MORE: Israel’s war on Gaza live — at least 66 killed across Gaza in past 24 hours
- Anzac massacre: The story of Surafend
- Other Israel’s war on Gaza reports
Parker described the enthusiastic response to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the US Congress this week — at a time when the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant accusing him of war crimes — “shameful”.
“I was appalled at the reception that Netanyahu was given in America . . .”
Cries of “shame” from the crowd greeted his words.
“. . . I agree that was shameful.
Applauding of Netanyahu ‘appalling’
“It was appalling that he was lauded the way that he was by the American parliament.
“It is a shame that the New Zealand government does not recognise Palestine.
“The Labour Party has called for the recognition of Palestine.”
The ICJ advisory judgment also ruled that Israel was an apartheid state.
This case was separate from the genocide one brought by South Africa against Israel in January which is still before the court.
A large banner at the rally illustrated the massive global support for Palestine statehood, with a map showing the main countries that have not supported recognition to be the white English-speaking settler colonial nations such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.
Among the speakers were two Palestinian teenagers, Lujain Al-Badry, who spoke of the litany of the latest Israeli massacres in Gaza — but she also highlighted the “forgotten” atrocities by illegal settlers and the military in the West Bank — and the other a poet who spoke passionately of the constant evictions of Palestinians from their own homes and land.
More than 700,000 Israelis have illegally settled on Palestinian land since the territory was occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war in defiance of repeated UN resolutions declaring the settlements unlawful.
Irish activist and trade unionist Joe Carolan, just back from a visit to Ireland, spoke of the political drift to the right in France and other European Union countries and reminded the crowd that support for the Palestinian cause and against colonialism was “liberation for all”.
The crowd marched around the block to protest outside the US consulate in Auckland, calling on Washington to end its support and funding for the Israeli genocide.
At least 39,324 Palestinians have been killed and 90,830 others wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Surafend massacre
Meanwhile, an RNZ podcast released at the weekend has revealed new insights into what has been described as the worst New Zealand military atrocity — the Surafend massacre during the First World War in Palestine in 1918.
According to the new season RNZ’s Black Sheep podcast, New Zealand and Australian soldiers “murdered upwards of 40 Arab civilians in a Palestinian village” in December 2018.
“But,” continued the podcast report, “more than 100 years later, we still don’t know exactly who did it, or why.
“We investigate what one military historian describes as ‘by far the worst war crime ever committed by New Zealand military personnel’ — The Surafend massacre — and other allegations of war crimes against Anzacs in the Middle East and North Africa.”
Dr David Robie is editor and publisher of Asia Pacific Report.
Israel is the only country in the world with worse behaviour toward indigenous people than NZ .Hence the reason our government is just paying lip service and refuses to make a stand .Luxon is as weak as piss and Peters is too far down the rabbit hole .
And Labour, well so pathetic until they are in opposition let me say!
Seriously? Are we putting them in labour/re-education camps like China? Are we sending the army and to kill them like Burma? Are we imprisoning human rights advocates that speak up for them like India? Lets not forget Peru.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/03/peru-racist-repression-slow-investigations-100-days/
I must be a ‘complete moron’, because I think that is a really, really stupid statement. And objectively wrong.
“More than 700 Israelis have illegally settled on Palestinian land since the territory was occupied during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war in defiance of repeated UN resolutions declaring the settlements unlawful.” …..
700,000 ,,, as in 700,000 racist, extremist, land stealing, murdering, criminals/terrorists …. all encouraged and given a free pass,,,,, by ‘the only democracy in the middle east’.
Israel is a rouge criminal state ,,, as international law,, that they break and flout with impunity demonstrates.
Our Govt are corrupt in their aiding and abetting this criminal state ….
Law & Order ???, obviously not,,, more like pick and choose.
Labour didn’t do much when they were in office. To put it nicely, I’d say that both parties are hamstrung by their ties to the USA.
Still, there must be smaller things that we can do that shouldn’t upset the Yanks like this for example – “I was at the select committee recently in Parliament with Moe Dahlan supporting his petition. He is asking the Government to open a humanitarian visa pathway for Palestinians. https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/07/30/guest-blog-fairy-trina-presenting-a-pro-palestinian-petition-at-select-committee/
Labour were pathetic whilst in power, gutless, totally gutless. Yes all that to do with the yankee doodle nation – we are pathetic. Te Pati Maori and the Greens are the future!
And expel the Israeli ambassador. Why is he still in the country?
He should be long gone. I can imagine the cosy little chats he has with Winston, disgusting.
One of the problems is now Labour will want to claim it as there thing, never mind that Te Pati Maori and the Greens have been strong on this forever….
Typical, they like to suggest that they led the nuclear free movement, the anti apartheid movement, the GE free movement.
They have only EVER followed those movements. Pathetic, cowardly, gutless. I suspect they would never ever have even suggested this if they had still be in power.
I’s like to think that the Greens and Te Pati Maori could do what they are arguing for now, if they ever did assume predominant power. But the history of other Green parties show that they too, full in line with the other major parties on international issues, come the time. I’d think you’d have to get ironclad assurances from them in regards to these types of matters before you can truly wax lyrical about them.
They are an option for sure, but until they 100% stand behind their causes/policies, an option is all they are.
All of Wellington, politicians, diplomats, defense, etc are complicit in a worldview that endanger Aotearoa. That mindset is that we are part of the “West”, the Anglosphere. When one of our pesky members gets out of hand we fall into line behind US UK and wring our hands and slap the offender with a wet bus ticket. This is the behaviour Parker is exhibiting.