Arrest Israeli Ambassador and Close Embassy

The Wellington Zapatista Support Group condemns the Israeli Government’s terrorist attack on the Freedom Flotilla, and demands the immediate detention of Shemi Tzur, the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand, and the closure of the Israeli Embassy in Wellington.

The Israeli government’s attempts to justify their blatant terrorist attack on a peaceful flotilla in international waters underscores not only their morally bereft foreign policy and boundless arrogance, but also the fundamental fascism of the State of Israel, where violence and war are the tools of choice to perpetuate their national collective identify. Both warrant international condemnation.

Flouting international law since its inception, the State of Israel has ignored UN Resolution after UN Resolution while perfecting the practice of terrorism begun by Irgun [i] in 1946 with the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, refined in the white phosphorus bombings of Lebanon in 2006, now honed to perfection in this latest terrorist outrage on a peaceful group of world citizens attempting to provide humanitarian assistance.

New Zealand has an obligation under international law to “deny safe haven and bring to justice, on the basis of the principle of extradite or prosecute, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts...” [ii]

The Wellington Zapatista Support Group therefore demands that the New Zealand Government immediately:
• arrest the State of Israel’s representative in New Zealand, Shemi Tzur, and initiate proceedings against him for ‘participating in the perpetration of terrorist acts’, being the Israeli Government attack on the flotilla, and
• deny the State of Israel safe haven in New Zealand, by closing down the Israeli Embassy in Wellington.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those murdered by Israel, and our gratitude and respect to the brave and honourable people who organised and participated in the humanitarian assistance mission to Gaza.

We demand they be enabled to complete their journey, unhindered.

Lastly, we express our continued support for the people of Palestine, and demand the lifting of the siege of Gaza, and Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories.

ENDS

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