New Zealand government urged to back ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders without equivocation
PSNA welcomes the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
“The warrants mean for the first time Israeli leaders face accountability for war crimes which have been live-streamed on social media for the past 13 months” says PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“We are waiting for our government to announce it will arrest Netanyahu and Gallant immediately if they set foot in Aotearoa New Zealand”
“It’s a breath of fresh air from the stultifying refusal of New Zealand and other western governments to act against the perpetrators of industrial-scale slaughter of Palestinian civilians”, says John Minto. “This ICC decision is a wake-up call for our government which can no longer stay silent”
“New Zealand has been a staunch ally of the US/Israel throughout the past 13 months when it should have been a staunch defender of international law”
“Unbelievably, our government still refuses to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and while it has condemned every act of Palestinian resistance, it has refused to condemn any of the egregious Israeli war crimes which are the subject of the arrest warrants”
In response to the ICC decision New Zealand should immediately end support for Israel to continue its war crimes such as
- Suspend all satellite launches by Rocket lab for BlackSky Technology, Capella Space, and HawkEye 360. These companies provide imaging data used by Israeli for its targeting of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon (See 13 November PSNA media release)
- Suspend and independently investigate the export of crystal oscillators from Rakon Industries which end up in bombs used for war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.
Sanctions against Israel are also essential and the ICC decision can be the trigger.
“New Zealand needs to act as we did when the ICC issued arrest warrants against Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine” says John Minto. “New Zealand imposed immediate and wide-ranging sanctions against Russia and must follow through with Israel”.
All while the Luxon regime pretends the heroes defending the human race from these monsters are ‘terrorists’.
It is a forlorn hope to expect Luxon to muster any vestige of independent thought or for him to see value in taking the ethical high ground.
Exactly right. As usual Luxon will be on the wrong side of history. I wouldn’t care except we are all tarred with that brush.
., Every Sniper pulling Trigger
every child that they disfigure
paints the world a bigger picture
of a country getting sicker ,,,, Genocide spread the virus. https://youtu.be/BlFvGy7NO3w
Our NActFirst Govt has that (criminal ) virus ,,, Hard.
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The Israeli ambassador here represents his criminal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant perfectly and to a tee…..
He should be sent packing,,,, and told to fuck back off to where he doesn’t belong.
They better do it! They better support it this ruling. So terrible so heartbreaking the families and people being killed in this ‘kill them all’ war. It’s a war crime!!! Not that any war isn’t a crime. It is.
Even if they are beholden to the American line that permanent cease-fire requires the hostages release – they can still call for a winter cease-fire to enable aid delivery.
This reflects international opinion. It will reflect on us if we ignore it.
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com › world › asia-pacific › new-ze…
12 Jul 2024 — New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Thursday that his country needed to stand up for the international rules-based order …
Where are all the opposition parties in all this?
Why are they keeping their heads down and their mouths shut?
Why are they not challenging this government to stand by their words?
This is my suggestion to the opposition parties for Question Time.
Question Time in the House
Question for Answer:
Q: Does the Minister stand by the Prime Minister’s previous statements that this government needs to stand up for the post World War Two international rules based order and international law?
Yes or No?
A: Yes (this likely answer is based on Prime Minister Luxon’s statements claiming New Zealand supports international rules based order and the international rule of law.)
Further Supplementary Question for Answer:
Q: Can the Minister confirm, that in the unlikely event that the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israel Minister of Defence Yoav Galant enter this country, that they will be arrested by the proper authorities and handed over to the ICC to stand trial in the Hague as required by our international obligations and legal commitments?
Yes or No?
A: Yes. (This likely answer based on the fact that neither Netanyahu or Gallant are likely to visit here. So costs the government nothing to say yes)
Further Supplementary Question for Answer:
Q: Can the Minister confirm, that any citizen of, or visitor to, this country that can be identified as linked to committing war crimes, and with a warrant issued for their arrest issued by the ICC, will be detained by the New Zealand authorities and handed over to the ICC to stand trial in the Hague?
Yes or No?
A: (!#?^*??+!!!??/-?FO….) Based on the fact that under a Labour Government a previous visiting Israeli war criminal had the warrant for his arrest quashed and then whisked him out of the country country before an appeal could be launched.
NZ Herald
30 Nov 2006 — Attorney-General Michael Cullen has over-ruled a District Court judge’s decision to issue an arrest warrant against a visiting former Israeli general the judge believed was answerable for Middle East war crimes….
…..General Ya’alon is known to Palestinian groups as the Butcher of Qana.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/government-overrules-war-crimes-arrest-order/DNV56UZPGHYIC5RXEZ6LYFCJCE/
This probably why you will never see this question asked of our government by any opposition Labour MPs.
In the end it will not be the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends that we will remember” Martin Luther King.