Dr. David Robie – Pioneer of Palestine protest in NZ warns against the IDF ‘obscenity’ becoming normalised
A pioneer of Palestine protest in Aotearoa New Zealand today warned against the IDF slaughter “obscenity” becoming accepted as normal in the world.
David Robie also blogs at Café Pacific
From his Asia Pacific Report
“It’s a particular obscenity watching a catastrophe unfold in Gaza, in the West Bank, and in Lebanon and for the world to get used to it — as our government does … voices, platitudes, and no action,” said Janfrie Wakim of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
“Today we also want to remember those Palestinians who died in Shabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut — a massacre that occurred in September 1982.
“How many people remember?”
- READ MORE: Labour would prioritise recognition of Palestine, sanctions on Israel
- Bruce King’s record of today’s Palestine events
- Other Palestine reports
Wakim, along with her late husband David, organised monthly Palestinian banners protests in Customs Street for 25 years and was coordinator and spokesperson for the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC) and backing “freedom flotilla” missions before PSNA was formally set up.
A former chair of PSNA, she has also long supported the global BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement in opposition to Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestine territories.
Speaking in Auckland’s Te Komititanga Square and acknowledging the protests against settler-colonialism at Takaparawha-Bastion Point in 1982 — “whose chief stands with us behind us” — Wakim gave a rundown on the Shabra and Shatila massacres that killed between 1300 and 3500 Palestinians and Lebanese Shias the same year.
Three months earlier, Israel had launched a massive invasion of Lebanon “spearheaded by the notorious defence minister Ariel Sharon who wanted to destroy the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organisation] based there at the time”.
‘Laid siege in Beirut’
“They laid siege to the part of Beirut where the PLO was headquartered near the Shabra and Shatila camps where Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Nakba [‘the Catastrophe’] lived.
In early September 1982, a ceasefire deal had been negotiated by US President Ronald Reagan’s administration between the Lebanese Phalangist militia and the PLO, which then evacuated from Lebanon to Tunisia.
The PLO had been given written reassurance from the US that hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians they were leaving behind would be safe, said Wakim.
“But on September 14, the Israeli military broke the ceasefire and surrounded the camps. And two days later the Phalange, armed by Israel, were allowed to enter,” she said.“Known for their brutality, they murdered mostly women, children and the elderly — many were raped and mutilated.
“Israel did nothing to stop the massacre, in fact it encouraged it until the Phalangists left on September 18.
‘Truly horrifying’
“This was truly horrifying — and there was condemnation and outrage around the world. Here [in New Zealand] included. That was the time when my husband David and I became involved actively with the local PHRC.”
Wakim said that after 18 years occupying southern Lebanon, leaving 18,000 killed, Israel withdrew its military forces in 2000 but attacked again in 2006 and also in 2024.
“Today we remember that hideous event 44 years ago and the victims,” Wakim said.
“The devastating trauma that each family witnessed and has borne in subsequent decades.
“The killing continues [today] with increasing ferocity mass displacement, destruction of homes and infrastructure and war crimes as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Red Cross have proven.”
Wakim quoted from an article by the Palestinian writer and editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Dr Ramzy Baroud, on the 40th anniversary of the massacre:
“Though Israeli massacres are meant to bring an end to Palestinian resistance, instead they unwittingly fuel it.
“While Israel continues to act with impunity, Palestinians continue to resist.
“This is not just the lesson of Sabra and Shatila, but also the bigger lesson of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.”
Lost opportunity for arrest
Wakim also spoke of a “crushing” opportunity lost by New Zealand in 2006 to arrest an alleged Israeli war criminal under universal jurisdiction.
“Former Israeli general and war minister Moshe Ya’alon, who faced charges of war crimes committed in Lebanon, visited New Zealand on a fundraising mission,” she said.
“Acting on a tip-off, in accordance with the principle of universal jurisdiction, and with help from a variety of legal experts, I successfully sought a private prosecution for his arrest and was delighted when a District Court judge agreed to issue a warrant for his arrest.
“Unfortunately, this reaction turned to dismay when the arrest did not proceed because the Attorney-General at the time, Michael Cullen, intervened. He quashed the warrant and allowed Ya’alon to leave the country.
“It was a crushing disappointment.”
The overall death toll of the Gaza genocide by the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) since October 2023 has risen to 73,470, with at least 174,540 wounded, according to the latest available figures.
Since the “ceasefire” last October, at least 1344 people have been killed and 4464 injured while at least 815 bodies have been recovered from the rubble, according to the Health Ministry.
Critical of UK policy
Another speaker at the rally, Barry Lee, a long-time social justice activist since the Vietnam War, condemned the weaknesses of UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s dramatic “blind eye” change in British policy towards Israel last week.
The UK announced what it called “sanctions on illegal West Bank settlements”, noted Lee.
The UK sanctions would ban settlement goods but also act against companies and individuals providing services for settlement expansion.
“Sounds great but we shouldn’t get too excited about this because as Dana Paterson’s letter in yesterday’s Herald stated its ‘too little too late’,” he said.
“But when you look at the fine print you see that this only applies to banning transactions with the so-called ‘illegal settlements’.
“This is a qualification which the Zionists, being highly skilled in devious deception, will most likely circumvent by concealing or manoeuvring so that the area of origin is concealed.”
However, this did not stop Britain from being “one of the greatest arms suppliers’ to Israel.
“And it doesn’t stop UK investment and trade with Israel which helps fuel the Zionist economy.”
Lee did acknowledge a couple of points of the new policy:
• The settlements are illegal under international law, and there has been a rise in violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank by settlers in recent months.
• That “The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists”.
Illegal settlements target
However, Miliband was careful to point out that that “the sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel”.
The Foreign Secretary stated that “Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians”.
“This is pathetic. The Zionist regime has done more than ‘turn a blind eye’. Israeli soldiers have protected the so called settlers.
“And leading government figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, have stated openly that they support the settlements. He has vowed to continue establishing the settlements — illegal under international law.
Lee criticised the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) for recently passed legislation to allow the so called area E1 settlement which will effectively cut the West Bank territory in half and undermine Palestine’s quest for statehood.
“Without this official support the settlements would not happen,” Lee said.
He described the current coalition government as being “completely politically and morally degenerate”.
“Like its Western ‘friends’, it is still waffling about the so-called ‘two-state solution’. There is no two-state solution — the Israelis ruled that out decades ago.
“And it was never a solution. Israel is occupied Palestine. The only solution is a secular one state — where all ethnicities and religions live together in equality.”
Kites for freedom in Gaza
After the downtown rally, a linked Global Sumud Aotearoa Kites for Freedom in Gaza action was staged at Mission Bay Beach.
This annual event honours the 12,000 children who flew kites on the Gaza beach to set a world record for simultaneous kite flying. More children were killed in the first five months of Gaza’s genocide than took part in the record.
On August 25, an official of the US-led so-called “Board of Peace” supervising the “ceasefire” in Gaza said: “All militant activity in Gaza must stop, including the flying of kites.”
Organisers of the Mission Bay event said the Israeli military was trying to deny one of the last fun-making events by “banning” flying kites in the ruins of Gaza.
The Ed Sheerans of New Zealand politics.
In 1948 at the UN in New York, New Zealand signed the Genocide Convention.
In 1978 at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand ratified the Genocide Convention, writing it into New Zealand law.
By international treaty and New Zealand law, every New Zealand government is obligated to ‘Prevent and Punish’, the crime of genocide.
Denying genocide is being committed in Gaza, is how the government evade their legal and treaty obligations to the genocide convenion.
The New Zealand Labour Party are the government in waiting.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins has said, the Labour Party ‘position’ on Gaza is, it is not a genocide.
By refusing to call what is happening in Gaza a genocide.
National, ACT, NZF, and the New Zealand Labour Party are all genocide denying parties.
The Green Party, and TPM are the only parliamentary parties to officially acknoledge that genocide is being committed in Gaza.
Individual Labour Party MPs say all the right things in parliament, but when callled on to act to sotp the genocide, refuse to be bound to do something about it..
They are the Ed Sheerans of New Zealand politics.
Don’t be an Ed Sheeran, be a Macklmore.
The Daily Blog
Dr. David Robie – Pioneer of Palestine protest in NZ warns against the IDF ‘obscenity’ becoming normalised
By Dr. David Robie
12 September 2026
(Trump threatens to commit genocide in Iran)
The Independent
Trump says he is weighing whether to ‘annihilate’ Iran
‘It’s a big decision. Anything could happen with me,’ Trump said
Brendan Rascius in New York
17 September 2026
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-war-threats-annihilate-un-b3052129.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=personalized-push
….Trump has repeatedly invoked apocalyptic rhetoric when discussing Iran, including in April when he wrote on Truth Social that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”
The ‘obscenity’ of genocide is not ‘becoming normalised’, it has become normalised.
The question for us, – Will our political leaders remain complicit in their denial?
Two weeks ago along with other ‘Left’ parties Phil Twyford attended the PSNA Auckland rally against genocide. Both the Greens and Te Party Maori issued statements at the rally condemning the genocide in Gaza. Phil Twyford said the Labour Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters would issue a statement in Parliament that week.
Since then Vanushi Walters has issued two statements in parliament.
Neither of them were about Labour’s position on the genocide in Gaza.
Parties that support genocide are not worth voting for.
The Post
Historic major party slump deepens as Labour edges National in new poll
Andrea Vance
September 15, 2026
https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361079350/historic-major-party-slump-deepens-labour-edges-national-new-poll
Support for both major political parties has again hit unprecedented lows, with Labour and National both sitting under 30% for the second time this month, according to a new poll….
… shows Labour edging ahead on 28% – a slight gain on its 2023 election result of 26.9% although a drop of seven percentage points from June. National has fallen to 27%.
National’s support has plummeted 11 points since the 2023 election, the equivalent of shedding over 300,000 votes, which appear to be flowing largely to its right-leaning minor coalition partners…..
Which side our poltical parties stand on the genocide in Gaza has the potential to set this election alight like no other single contentious issue.
What the Vietnam war was to New Zealanders in the ’70s, Gaza is to New Zealanders today.
The definition of genocide as spelled out in the Genocide Convention, which New Zealand is a signatory to, is defined as “the destruction of a people in whole, or in part” and the “intent” to do so.
What is genocide?
https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/learn-about-genocide-and-other-mass-atrocities/what-is-genocide
The legal term “genocide” refers to certain acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Genocide is an international crime, according to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)….
If the Labour Party want to set this election alight, then they need to come out and publicly denounce the genocide in Gaza. And fiercely defend that position on the hustings with the factual evidence of the destruction of a people ‘in whole or in part’, and the ‘intent’ to so, as stated by Israeli government ministers and military leaders and soldiers.
And further, announce that if Labour lead the next government, they will ensure that they will carry out this country’s binding legal duty to the International Convention for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.
This stand will create a simple and clear cut point of difference between the government and the Labour Party, that every voter in the country will get to decide on.
If the Labour Party come out and denounce the genocide in Gaza and state that a government led by them will carry out this country’s binding legal duty to the genocide convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.
Then we can each go into the ballot box in November, where we will each get the chance to decide on our complicity in the world’s first live streamed genocide.
No one ever gets the chance to vote for a war, because war is never put on the ballot.
Wars are always decided by elites.
No body ever gets the chance to vote for their complicity in a genocide, because genocide is never put on the ballot.
Genocides, and complicity in genocide, is always decided by elites.
We need to make an exception:
This election, the genocide in Gaza needs to be on the ballot.
Which ever political party you support, National, ACT, NZF, Labour, Greens, TPM, TOP, in the privacy of the voting booth, you need to be given the choice to decide on your complicity in the genocide in Gaza, or not.
Two weeks ago Labour Party MP, Phil Twyford attended a rally organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA) in Auckland.
PSNA called this rally especially for Left parties to condemn the National led coalition government for their complicity over the Genocide in Gaza.
Dr David Robie: NZ left parties condemn Luxon govt on lack of humanity, ‘complicity’ over Gaza genocide
By Dr. David Robie
29 August 2026
Organisers invited nine political parties and independent candidates to take part in today’s rally and forum. Only five agreed……
…. Phil Twyford, Labour Party MP for Te Atātu, also gave a strong statement on his party’s stance supporting Palestine, saying that foreign affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters would present “official” policy at Parliament this week…..
It didn’t happen.
Today the 15th of September 2026 Parliament is in session again, and is scheduled to sit for 9 remaining days before the final adjournment on 24 September 2026.
Will the Labour party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters, present Labour’s “official” policy this week?
What will it contain?
Will it containe the usual platitudes about supporting Palestine, but not condemn the Luxon govt on lack of humanity, [and] ‘complicity’ over Gaza genocide? That the PSNA rally explicity called on Left parties to do?
Will Vanushi Walters condemn, in no uncertain terms, the Luxon government over complicity in the Gaza genocide?
And set the election alight?
Will voters be presented with a clear choice over the genocide in Gaza between the two competing parliamentary blocs?
We mustn’t allow our complicity in the genocide in Gaza be decided behind closed doors by elites.
I am hopeful that Vanushi Walters will do the right thing. Go Labour!
The only solution is a “secular one state — where all ethnicities and religions live together in equality.”
Reckon we could build a movement around something like this.
The only solution is a “secular one state — where all ethnicities and religions live together in equality.”
That will be the outcome. The current shitty litle entity has no right to exist – a country whose military snipers children is an evil menace for all the world.
It’s been normalised for a couple of years now so it is basically too late. Helped by the media, which uses subtle and not so subtle bias even when it’s supposedly reporting objectively.
The genocide in Gaza is the political litmus test of our time. We need a government that will do something to stop it.
A Labour Party led coalition is not that government.
Only the Greens and Te Party Maori are convinced to something about the genocide in Gaza, the Labour Party is not.
Chris Hipkins has said that the Labour Party “position”, is that there is no genocide in Gaza until the ICJ rules there is.
According to Foreign Minister, Winston Peters there is no genocide in Gaza until the ICJ rules there is, is the position of the current National led government.
This was the position of the Keir Starmer UK Labour government.
It is the same position of the current Andy Burnham UK Labour government.
Nothing changes.
The ICJ will not meet to consider the merits of the genocide case until 2030 at the earliest.
The genocide convention compels governments to act to “punish and prevent” the crime of genocide.
As long as governments continue to deny that genocide is happening they feel they are compelled to do nothing, or do as little as possible to prevent it.
Two weeks ago Phil Twyford attended a PSNA organised rally against the genocide in Gaza, in Auckland, where he said that the Labour Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters would be making a policy statement in parliament that week.
It never happened.
Tommorrow the 15th of September 2026, the New Zealand parliament will again be in session.
Will Vanushi Walters deliver the Labour Party policy statement on the genocide in Gaza this week?
Or will it vanish into the ether?
A world that allows genocide is not worth living in.
A party that denys genocide is not worrth voting for.
When people tell you who they are believe them.
“It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible and we will fight until we break their backbone.”
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel
YouTube
Israeli Soldiers SICKENING War Crimes EXPOSED
Double Down News
1.2M subscribers
1.3M views
Oct 16, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEo813rYm8g
You have described the situation well, while I have not decided which minor party on the left to vote for yet it is only if they get a decent vote that Labour might get a bit of backbone. Israel has fooled too many for too long so their luck is starting to run out although we don’t know what sort of damage they will do to the Palestinians and other people unfortunate enough to live close to them before justice prevails.