Brownlee's approach to Israelbetrays UNSC Resolution 2334
PHRC Press Release | 4 May 2017
According to the Jerusalem Post of 3 May 2017 the New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Gerry Brownlee has written a letter to Mr Netanyahu with congratulations on the Zionist
state's National Day, expressing a desire for the “Israeli-New Zealand relationship to get back on track.” Brownlee failed to ask Netanyahu to explain his threat to interpret New Zealand’s sponsorship of UNSC 2334 as a “declaration of war” and the hostile postponement of travel rights for New Zealand’s ambassador to Israel.
Instead of reminding Netanyahu of Israel's duty under international law to stop illegal settlement development in the
Palestinian West Bank, Brownlee obsequiously begged to restore the relationship as if it were New Zealand that was
somehow at fault. Our new Foreign Affairs Minister then went on to spinelessly express a desire for “the Israeli-New Zealand relationship to get back on track and to do that by recognising that we’ve got synergies and
innovation and agriculture and various other things like that.”
Respect for human rights and the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention are the most essential elements in
international relations. Granting Israel eternal impunity from its violations of these principles can only condemn the
Zionist state's victims to endless misery and injustice. Brownleemust be reminded that his duty is promote respect and
compliance with UNSC Resolution 2334.