Friday 20th September, 2024

The New Zealand Jewish Council is dismayed that New Zealand has voted for an extremely one-sided and damaging resolution, which effectively requires Jewish people to vacate their most holy site within one year and turns a blind eye to terror.

None of New Zealand’s traditional allies and friends voted for this resolution; in total, 57 UN member states either voted against it or abstained. New Zealand’s naive vote is an embarrassment.

The resolution:

• Requires Israel to withdraw unilaterally and within 12 months from its capital city, the cradle of Jewish civilisation where we have been present for millennia, and the single holiest site for the Jewish people;
• Requires a withdrawal from all of what it terms “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, which is incorrect in fact and law, preempts the outcome of negotiations and denies Jewish historic and legal claims to the land;
• Calls for an economic and diplomatic boycott and sanctions against Israel;
• Fails to mention Hamas, the hostages it continues to hold in tunnels in Gaza or the October 7 invasion of Southern Israel it perpetrated;
• Does not require anything of the Palestinians, including cessation of violence against Israel; and
• Denies Israel the right to determine or secure its own borders, stripping it of its right to self-defence.

Voting for this resolution is inconsistent with the New Zealand government’s previously stated position and removes any incentive for Palestinians to negotiate, end violence and seek peace.

New Zealand voted for a resolution that our own ambassador to the UN admitted is unrealistic in its requirements.

The Council calls upon Winston Peters to explain:

• Why New Zealand voted for a resolution it admits is unworkable
• Why New Zealand has departed from long-held policy with regards balance between the two sides
• If the Foreign Minister in fact believes that Israel has no connection or claim to Jerusalem, the millennia-long cradle of Jewish life.

The resolution is counter-productive. It will further entrench the intransigence of those who do not believe in negotiations, co-existence and peace which we are committed to and embolden them to attack those who do - as we saw on October 7.

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