The Labour Party is calling on the Government to support the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling by using its procurement rules to ban government agencies from purchasing goods or services from Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Labour Foreign affairs spokesperson David Parker said the recent decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was clear the prolonged occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal under international law.

“The ICJ detailed Israel’s breaches of international law including forced evictions, extensive house demolitions, the transfer of settlers into the Occupied Territories, and restricting the access of Palestinians to water, to name just a few.

“The continued occupation since 1967 has denied the Palestinian people the right to govern themselves.

“The ICJ decision creates an obligation on states like New Zealand not to “render aid or assistance” to the occupation.

Rule 44 of the Government’s procurement rules allowed for a supplier to be excluded for human rights violations by the supplier or in the supplier’s supply chain.

“This is the least the Government can do to show its support for the ICJ and its opposition to what the ICJ has called ‘the sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power’,” David Parker said.

“The ICJ has called for Israel to withdraw from the illegal settlements. The New Zealand Government should also communicate directly to Israel that it should implement the court’s directives and withdraw from the Occupied Territories.

“This Government says it supports the International Rules Based Order. Decisions of the ICJ are an important part of that. The ICJ ruling is not a suggestion. It is the application of international law.

“If the Government does not want to be accused of being inconsistent, it needs to take action immediately in line with the ICJ ruling,” David Parker said.

© Scoop Media