David Seymour Challenged Over Gaza Genocide & Israeli Attacks On Healthcare

A challenge to the New Zealand government’s ongoing silence over Israel’s genocide and attacks on healthcare in Gaza has been delivered to Acting Prime Minister David Seymour on his home turf.

Dr Raisa Ahmed, spokesperson for Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine (AHW4P), confronted Seymour at an ACT Party event in Tauranga last Thursday. Despite heckling from Mr Seymour's supporters, Dr Ahmed asked Mr Seymour why the New Zealand government had condemned the alleged Russian attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine, but remained silent about attacks in Gaza.

"Incredibly, Mr Seymour said that I was making mere ‘claims’ that Israel has attacked hospitals in Gaza”, Dr Ahmed says. “The evidence is overwhelming from human rights organisations and NGOs that Israel has destroyed all 36 hospitals in Gaza, and killed over 500 Palestinian health workers. This is an insult to all my Palestinian and international health colleagues who have been sharing devastating video footage and eye witness testimony for the last nine months."

Mr Seymour had begun the meeting by making fun of anti genocide protestors outside the venue, ironically saying they were “undermining democracy”. He said that the New Zealand government couldn't do any more in this situation.

"This is simply not true”, says Dr Ahmed. “This government has refused to sanction Israel even though they sanctioned Russia almost immediately.

“The New Zealand government has continued to explicitly support Israel through their actions. It refused to withdraw from RIMPAC military exercises with Israel. Also this month, Mr Luxon met with the CEO of Blackrock, named by the UN Human Rights Office in June as one of the financial institutions investing in companies that supply weapons to Israel.”

The UN Human Rights Office has declared that all states and companies must stop the transfer of arms to Israel immediately or risk the responsibility of violating human rights (1).

"Mr Seymour refused to answer any of our questions. It was shocking to see him deny easily verifiable facts about Israeli attacks on hospitals and genocide when the International Court of Justice has said Israel is plausibly committing a genocide," Dr Ahmed says.

After escalating verbal abuse from Mr Seymour's supporters, Dr Ahmed and a member of the public were eventually forced to leave.

Last Friday, the ICJ ruled that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem is illegal and Israel is practising apartheid. All states are now obliged to end the illegal occupation under international law.

AHW4P demands that the NZ government enforces immediate sanctions on Israel. Not doing so means NZ will be complicit with Israeli apartheid and genocide of Palestine. We strongly urge everyone to hold this government accountable.

We also demand that all our medical institutions support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel’s illegal occupation.

References:

1. UN, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2024, June 20). ‘States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately or risk responsibility for human rights violations: UN experts’. Press release. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/states-and-companies-must-end-arms-transfers-israel-immediately-or-risk

Video footage of the challenge to David Seymour has been viewed 27,000 times and is available at: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9lnVHEyh0U/

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