PSNA has condemned the New Zealand government’s decision
to deploy a “liaison officer” to Israel to work with the
US and Israel to implement the Trump ‘peace’ plan for
Gaza.
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-chair
Maher Nazzal says it is ominous that the liaison officer
will be based inside a US military office.
“Instead,
we should be working with the United Nations in the region.
Trump plans to perpetuate the Israeli occupation under a
fig-leaf of it being multinational. That is what we are
supporting.”
“This is more of the same complicity
with the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza.
For two
years, our Foreign Minister has joined New Zealand at the
hip to a country whose Prime Minister is wanted for war
crimes and crimes against humanity.”
‘There have
been no sanctions on Israel, but we frequently impose new
sanctions on Russia and Iran.”
“It’s a knee-jerk
reaction for New Zealand to send in the troops to the Middle
East to back Israel and the US,” Nazzal says.
“The
NZDF was there in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government sent
the army up to the Red Sea to fight with the Americans early
last year to keep Israeli sea lanes open.”
Nazzal
says the government should focus on aid, ensuring
Palestinians’ rights and representation, and
fact-finding.
“There should be a cross-party
Parliamentary fact-finding mission assembled urgently, which
could get into Gaza safely before Israel ramps up its
murderous assault again.”
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“MPs should see for
themselves, instead of signing off on a soldier whose job it
is to ‘implement’ the Trump plan.
“The King of
Jordan has recently rejected the US proposal to join in
patrolling Gaza to implement Trump’s vision.”
“A
liaison officer deployment is political cover to assist and
reward Israel for its genocide in Gaza. The US makes bombs
and bullets for Israel to fire.”
“It’s a
shameful betrayal of Palestine and the Palestinian
steadfastness in the face of unbelievable depravity and
cruelty.”
“Palestinians have no say in the Trump
plan. Trump decides who is going to implement it. He’s
picked Tony Blair. When he was British Prime Minister,
Blair, and US President Bush, invaded Iraq to destroy the
non-existent weapons of mass destruction. More than a
million Iraqis died.”
“In Gaza, more than 20,000
children have now been murdered by Israel in indiscriminate
killing across Gaza.”
“It says all we need to know
that the Minister of Defence has never uttered a single word
of condemnation of Israel.”
“The New Zealand
people stand with Palestine – the government stands with
Israel.”
