Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) has written to the Prime Minister urging the government to reject Israeli participation in a proposed international Covid 19 “travel bubble” until Palestinians are able to join the bubble as equals.

Israel is pushing to join Australia in a travel bubble which would include New Zealand as a group of countries with relatively low levels of Covid 19 infections.

Israel runs a brutal military occupation of Palestinian Territories in the Occupied West Bank and a military blockade of Gaza which prevents free movement of Palestinians within historic Palestine.

“Why should New Zealand facilitate travel by Israelis when it denies free movement to Palestinians?”

Already New Zealand provides visa-free travel to for Israelis but denies it to Palestinians. This policy must also be abandoned until Palestinians enjoy visa-free travel to New Zealand.

Israel must understand that they will face consequences for their racist cruelty towards Palestinians. Accepting Israel into a “travel bubble” would reward their denial of civil, political and human rights to Palestinians.

Even in the last few days Israel’s racist brutality against Palestinians has been on display.

• The Israeli Defence Force shooting holes in Palestinian water tanks.
• The killing of an unarmed autistic Palestinian – Eyad Hallaq – with 10 bullets into his body
• Illegal Israeli settlers stealing more Palestinian land with the protection of the Israeli Defence Force.

Meanwhile the new Israeli government is planning another blatant breach of international law with plans to annex (steal) vast areas of Palestinian land in the West Bank from 1 July.

These racist policies are driven by an Israeli Prime Minister whose blatant race-hatred towards Palestinians is legendary.

© Scoop Media