Why is NZ Government funding Zionist apologist organisations to choke free speech?

A fierce political and ideological fight has erupted over Government funding for an antisemitism report, with Dayenu: NZ Jews Against the Occupation accusing publicly funded groups of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism and chilling legitimate political speech.

Ummmmm.

Why is NZ Government funding Zionist apologist organisations to choke free speech?

Dayenu Condemns Funding For Antisemitism Report

Dayenu: NZ Jews Against the Occupation is condemning the use of taxpayer funding for a report on antisemitism it claims blurs the line between genuine anti-Jewish racism and criticism of the Israeli state.

Dayenu: NZ Jews Against The Occupation has condemned the use of government funding for the New Zealand Jewish Council’s Annual Report on Antisemitism in New Zealand in 2025. The report was produced through a $60,000 grant from the Ministry of Ethnic Communities’ Ethnic Communities Fund, which is intended to improve social cohesion in New Zealand.

“Examining antisemitism is a worthwhile cause, but this report deliberately seeks to confuse the real threat of antisemitism with political opposition to the genocidal actions of the Israeli state,” says Avigail Allan, Dayenu co-founder.

“We condemn the use of government funding for a report that uses extremist language like labelling the occupied West Bank as ‘Judea and Samaria’, a term used by those seeking to justify the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

“The New Zealand Government has a long-held opposition to the illegal Israeli settlement of the occupied West Bank. Why then is the Government using a fund meant to promote social cohesion to instead promote illegal settlements and ethnic cleansing?

Why are critics challenging the Government-funded antisemitism report?

“We are also deeply concerned that the New Zealand Jewish Council and its affiliated group, the New Zealand Jewish Community Security Group, uses a definition of antisemitism that wrongly conflates criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism.

“In the same breath, the Jewish Council condemns both the vile racism of neo-Nazis and legitimate academic critiques of Israeli colonisation. By mixing up these very separate issues, the Jewish Council not only attempts to shield Israel from criticism, but also diminishes the very real threat of antisemitism in Aotearoa.

Where is the line between antisemitism and criticism of Israel?

“Jews in Aotearoa are less safe because of the Jewish Council’s constant muddling of the New Zealand Jewish community with Israel. If anyone else tries to conflate New Zealand Jews with the actions of the Israeli state, they would rightfully condemn it as antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is a serious issue and the Jewish community deserves responsible and evidence-based reporting on racism towards Jews. The government should not be farming this work out to extreme groups” says Allan.

Why are we paying taxpayer dollars so Zionist Apologists can spread their version of Antisemitism which is anyone criticising Israel for war crimes that technically breach genocide thresholds?

Dayenu is a Jewish organisation for jews opposed to the occupation, so they have a legitimate right to critique the language in this.

Renaming Occupied West Bank as ‘Judea and Samaria’ is pretty on the nose when you consider Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank and are fresh from accusation of Genocide in Gaza.

Let’s be very clear.

Antisemitism is a disease.

The pogroms that Jews faced over the centuries are despicable and the Holocaust an abomination that demanded a global response for a Jewish homeland.

But that in no way, shape or form justifies or defends what Israel is doing to the Palestinian, Lebanese and Iranian people.

I don’t criticise Israelis for being Jewish, I believe in freedom of religion, I criticise Israelis because their Government violently and illegally oppresses  the Palestinian people.

There should be no tolerance of legitimate Antisemitism, indeed we should collectively denounce it but the moral argument that calls us to attack Antisemitism ALSO demands we criticise militant unhinged Zionism and state violence against civilians!

Why is NZ Government funding Zionist apologist organisations to choke free speech?