Urgent Need For New Zealand’s Humanitarian Voice

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins

Prime Minister (Caretaker)

&

Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister (Elect)

Parliament

Wellington

Further to our previous letter regarding this matter, Aotearoa New Zealand has always been an international beacon for timely humanitarian and peaceful initiatives - whether it was our nuclear free position in the Pacific, or our stance against participation in the Iraq war without UN sanction, or our nation’s response to the tragic terror attacks of 15 March 2019. Aotearoa New Zealand has been recognised globally as being in the forefront of the international moral conscience at times when there was a need for a peaceful pathway forward.

We write now to once again raise our grave concerns and strongest plea for a Government response to the ever-worsening situation in Gaza. We note with appreciation New Zealand’s recent voting at the UN General Assembly on Gaza.

In keeping with the above we request the Government’s urgent diplomatic advocacy at both the UN and other global forums in seeking a complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Our appeal is grounded in the tragic truths and harsh reality of over 10,000 civilians killed by the Israeli military, including over 4,600 children. Of particular and unconscionable note are the harrowing images of rows of neonatal infants lying on the cold concrete floor. Such acts of deliberate and wanton genocide have not been seen in recent history and this is an appropriate time for the New Zealand Government to raise its voice.

We urge the Government, on the basis of every moral and humanitarian principle, to unequivocally condemn such genocidal assaults and wholescale bombing of innocent civilians as being contrary to all international norms of civil behaviour and law.

There are four specific positions that we feel New Zealand should immediately adopt as peaceful but profound initiatives in response to the above:

1. As a sign of New Zealand’s concern for the escalating humanitarian crisis, and the breaches of international law, the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand should be expelled. Particularly noting the Ambassador’s criticism of New Zealand’s moral and forthright positions in the past.
2. That New Zealand suspend its March 2020 agreement with the Government of Israel on cooperation in technological innovation research and development as it may have the potential for military application.
3. To immediately stop Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) using the Cobweb Technologies software which was developed by ex-Israeli intelligence officials and has the potential to track, trace and monitor the private messages of Palestinians in New Zealand with their families and friends in Gaza. It should be noted that unlike other New Zealand intelligence-gathering agencies, there is no external independent monitoring of the usage of this software by MBIE. This lack of democratic oversight is most alarming.
4. The immediate increase of humanitarian aid to international agencies assisting with relief efforts in Gaza, including WHO, Red Crescent and UNRWA.

This plea is based on New Zealand’s principled stance as we have recently taken. We note the parallels between the New Zealand response to the situation in the Ukraine and that in Gaza. The New Zealand response regarding the situation in the Ukraine was undertaken with a sense of urgency, timeliness and appropriateness with over $83 million committed. The current response to Gaza has been neither timely nor commensurate to the gravity of the situation.

As we have been reminded by the United Nations, “The situation in the Gaza Strip is a growing stain on our collective conscience.”

History will judge us for our lack of decisive action if we do not take a principled stance at this time.

Nga mihi,

Ibrar Sheikh

President, FIANZ

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