Supporters of Palestinian self-determination and many Jews in Israel and around the world have rejoiced the decision to charge interim Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
The Israel Institute of New Zealand (IINZ) has welcomed a New Conservative Party NZ press release, urging the New Zealand…
Last week the United Nations General Assembly held its annual series of votes on Palestine/Israel. Eight resolutions were considered and all were adopted – most by overwhelming margins.
After the most recent atrocity committed on Gaza, many were killed, children again were killed.
This week, far greater violations of international law and the right to life in Gaza have instead been met in New Zealand government circles with a response reminiscent of the friends witnessing the scene in Once Were Warriors, where Jake “The Muss” brutally beats Beth, and their intimidated “friends” leave her to her fate.
Throughout October, Israeli forces carried out a total of 107 Gaza ceasefire violations before finally provoking the firing of a single missile from Gaza, on the last day of that month.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established as court of last resort for the prosecution of four international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Whereas Australia, New Zealand and Palestine are States Parties to the Rome Statute, Israel and its close ally, the USA, choose to remain non-signatories.
In a press release on 4 October 2019, the UNHCR’s Regional Representative in Canberra, Louise Aubin, welcomed New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s formal announcement of our refugee resettlement quota increase, noting that it “sends an important message to the world that every country can make a difference in sharing responsibility for the global refugee situation”. As the UNHCR acknowledges, the majority of refugees are confined in countries neighbouring their homelands.
There were just four Palestinian Gaza ceasefire violations in September. Two of them were missile-launches across the Green Line that took place on 10 and 12 of last month. The other two, on 7 and 9 September, were Palestinian Resistance attacks on Israeli military targets, near the border at Rafah and east Khan Yunis.
On 25 September, Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, replied to our email sent to him on 25 August. Here is our response to his reply: