Open Letter to the Hon. Murray McCully

Dear Mr McCully,

Some weeks ago you wrote to us justifying Israel's admission to membership of the OECD, seeing it as an opportunity to influence Israel, through dialogue, regarding its failure to abide by its international obligations. We have written to you since on more than one occasion inviting you to demonstrate what sort of dialogue has been undertaken and what successes may have been achieved. As you have not replied we may assume that, in fact, there has been no dialogue and, therefore, no progress in influencing Israel to respect International law.

_In the 48 hours to 8am September 18, 2010 Israeli forces have:_

Invaded the home of a Palestinian refugee and shot him dead. Invaded Northern and Central Gaza, opening fire on homes and farms and bulldozing crops. Broken into a house, beaten and hospitalised a refugee and vandalised his home.

The Israeli Army made night-time peace disruption raids and/or home invasions in two refugee camps and 19 towns and villages. Besides the person shot dead, there were two Israeli attacks, 33 raids including home invasions, six people beaten, eight injured, 15 taken prisoner, 26 detained and 96 restrictions of movement

It would appear that Israel has taken its admission to the OECD as a sign of approval and encouragement. Wanton Israeli violence against a captive and defenceless Palestinian population is so commonplace that the mainstream news media do not consider it newsworthy. That is why we bring these cruelties to your attention. Of course, if it had been Israeli homes that had been invaded, residents shot and beaten and their homes vandalised we know that it would most certainly have made the headlines.

It is difficult to understand how bulldozing crops, destroying olive trees, demolishing homes, annexing occupied territory and consuming 80% of the available water in the Occupied West Bank can in any way contribute to Israeli security. Yet these atrocities continue unabated and the leaders of the world community remain silent. Worse still, they welcome Israel at the highest levels, diplomatically and economically.

Israel does not even allow Palestinian non-violent protest. In the 48 hours quoted above Israeli forces assaulted and injured Palestinian and international peace protesters in four West Bank locations. Far from protecting civilians, as they are obliged to do under international law, Israel's Occupation soldiers regularly beat up, injure and hospitalise people at checkpoints, public protests and in their homes.

New Zealand could, and should, set an example for the rest of the world by urging the world community to bring pressure to bear on Israel through, for instance, calling upon the United Nations to consider economic and other sanctions against Israel until it abides by international law and UN Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions. Is it too much to ask that Israel be required to obey the same laws as the rest of us? The legal framework exists for the restoration of justice in the Middle East, all it takes is the willpower. Treating Israel and the Palestinians as equal parties to an unresolved dispute flies in the face of history and makes a mockery of law and natural justice.

The world community created the problem and it bears the responsibility for solving it. Decades of fruitless so-called negotiations have achieved nothing except to enlarge Israel's territorial footprint at the expense of the Palestinian people. It defies commonsense and allowing it to continue is a denial of justice. Mr McCully, in 1893 New Zealand became the first self-governing nation in the world to grant the vote to all women over 21. In the spirit of Kate Sheppard, we call on you to show courage, leadership and vision. Let the world witness New Zealand taking a principled stand on behalf of all international law and especially the hard-fought-for Fourth Geneva Convention.

Yours sincerely,

Leslie Bravery

For Palestine Human Rights Campaign/Aotearoa New Zealand

ENDS

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