After what PSNA calls the shocking
TVNZ interview with Minister of Defence Judith Collins on
Friday, it has written to the Prime Minister
today.
PSNA has requested Luxon direct Collins to
withdraw approval for forthcoming Rocket Lab satellite
launches for BlackSky Technology from Mahia, which could be
used by Israel in Gaza.
Palestine Solidarity Network
Aotearoa Co-chair John Minto says Collins ‘can’t be
trusted to uphold New Zealanders’ values’.
“She
went for any excuse to justify approving the launches, and
the Prime Minister must rein her in.”
“She said
the UN Security Council does not encourage sanctions, so she
believes New Zealand has a free hand to be militarily
complicit in Israel’s resumed genocide in
Gaza.”
“But New Zealand has complained for decades
about the veto powers of one country in the Security
Council. Then, our government uses the very same US veto,
which it opposes, to justify licencing the launch of spy
satellites to target Gaza.”
“In particular, the
New Zealand government is ignoring the International Court
of Justice, which directs countries to do what they can to
prevent Israel’s occupation from
continuing.”
“Signing off on delivering the
technology, which the IDF uses for its bombing runs on a
civilian population, can hardly be interpreted as helping
Israel end its occupation of Gaza.”
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Minto says
Collins’ alternative excuse, that New Zealand is not at
war with Israel, so can’t sanction it, is equally
nonsensical.
“It may come as news to the Defence
Minister, but New Zealand is not at war with Iran or Russia
either. Yet the government routinely imposes sanctions on
both of these countries, with putting new sanctions on Iran
just a few days ago.”
“Luxon obviously thought, in
the TVNZ interview, that the New Zealand Export Controls
regime should apply to the satellite
launches.”
“If the launches have not been tested
against this legislation, then they should be, and Collins
should be told to keep her pen in her pocket.”
The
PSNA message to the PM says:
Tēnā koe e
Christopher Luxon,
We were shocked at the
interview with Minister of Defence Judith Collins on TVNZ
last Friday where she justified approving
satellite launches for BlackSky Technology from Mahia
Peninsula despite human rights warnings from government
officials.
BlackSky Technology has a lucrative
contract with the Israeli Occupation Forces to provide high
resolution images for use in Israel’s targeting of
Palestinians and civilian infrastructure in
Gaza.
Since the initial approvals by Ms Collins
the situation in Gaza has become catastrophic for
Palestinians. So bad that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for
trial on charges of using starvation as a method of warfare
as well as the crimes against humanity of murder,
persecution and other inhumane acts.
Collins’
approvals mean New Zealand is directly implicated in
Israel’s Gaza genocide.
This is a moral
outrage to the big majority of New
Zealanders.
We are urging you as Prime Minister
to direct Ms Collins to decline all future satellite
launches for BlackSky Technology.
John
Minto
Co-ChairPSNA.nz
