NZ Government must demand the release of Unite’s Mike Treen as Israeli Military violates International Law

Unite Union leader Mike Treen has been attacked and detained by Israeli military whilst on a peaceful aid convoy to Gaza.

FIRST Union Divisional Secretary Tali Williams says Mr Treen went on the mission to help the people of Gaza who are in an urgent state of desperation which is impossible to comprehend.

“I visited Gaza as part of the Kia Ora Gaza convoy a few years ago. The reason Kiwis, and many others from around the world, were bringing basic provisions to Gaza was because of Israel’s blockade and the desperation it has caused people.”

Ms Williams says the Israeli Government and its military have continued to enforce severe and discriminatory restrictions on Palestinians’ human rights through restricting the movement of people and goods in and out of the Gaza strip.

“The blockade has been in place for over 10 years now. Its original aim was to apply pressure or sanctions to weaken the economy of Gaza and decrease support for the elected government; Hamas. This is also a violation of international law as it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s civilians.”

She says during her visit in 2013 the devastation of the area was obvious.
“We visited hospitals, schools, universities, parliamentary grounds, bridges, all of which have been struck by Israeli F-16s on multiple occasions over the years. The siege does not allow construction materials into Gaza so it’s virtually impossible to rebuild.”

Ms Williams says the human suffering was horrific.

“The most basic of medicines are not available due to the blockade and people had to suffer through surgery without anaesthetic. Even basic penicillin was hard to come by. It’s hard to imagine how that hospital is coping right now with all of these hundreds of bullet wounds.”

She adds overcrowding is also an issue with some homes containing up to 25 people in two basic rooms.

“Black outs, caused by Israel’s bombardment of the power plant and the plants’ inability to access the pieces it needs to operate at capacity due to the blockade, meant those two basic rooms after dark were often pitch black.”

It’s believed half the population in Gaza face food insecurity, half live below the poverty line, 90% of Gaza’s water is undrinkable and half of Gaza’s working age population are unemployed. Ms Williams says the region has become dangerously dependant on foreign aid.

“Export of Palestinian goods, the import of raw materials, and access to Gaza’s natural resources have been severely restricted, devastating Gazan businesses and the ability of the region to be self-sufficient, thereby rendering it dependent on international aid.”

The UN recently warned that Gaza was deteriorating at such a fast pace it would be uninhabitable by 2020.

“The mental health of people in Gaza is at an absolute breaking point. It’s only natural that New Zealanders want to go over and help, and many have, but we cannot sit quietly when these atrocities occur and we cannot twiddle our thumbs when our own citizens are seized. The Government must act.”

Ms Williams says FIRST Union is proud of Mike and the other international humanitarians who were on the aid flotilla. “We have to do all we can to challenge Israel on its blockade and continued and belligerent flouting of international law. Our Government must take a stand. We need to support the international boycott and divestment campaign to impact Israel economically as we did with apartheid South Africa.”

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