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Sadly there was no dialogue of international coverage through the election final yr. Except for the odd compulsory query in a TV debate it barely bought a point out.
Our worldwide relations are typically glossed over as a result of most coverage is shared by Labour and Nationwide not less than.
It wasn’t at all times this manner. Again within the Nineteen Seventies there was a palpable feeling of delight throughout the nation because the Norman Kirk Labour authorities despatched a New Zealand frigate to protest towards French nuclear testing within the Pacific. The same neighborhood delight surrounded creating our anti-nuclear coverage within the Nineteen Eighties and aid as nicely when New Zealand didn’t buckle to US strain and stayed out of the notorious invasion of Iraq in 2003 whereas the remainder of the western world fell for the large propaganda blitz about non-existent “weapons of mass destruction”.
It has been an terrible shock to see New Zealand surrender that independence so simply within the final two years.
We rightly joined the condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a result of whereas there have been clear causes for Russia’s motion there was no justification. However then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her successor Chris Hipkins simply gave up even the pretence of independence. Each attended belligerent NATO conferences and it’s been a quick downhill trip since. Our new Nationwide-led authorities is constant the identical political momentum.
Nonetheless it nonetheless got here as a shock two weeks again when PM Luxon – flanked by Overseas Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins – introduced we have been sending army personnel to affix the US-led bombing of Yemen.
There was no United Nations mandate for warfare and it was supported solely by the tiniest minority of western nations.
The Houthi group in Yemen have attacked Israeli-linked delivery within the Pink Sea to strain Israel to finish its slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. Yemeni teams have executed this as a result of the western world has turned its again on the individuals of Gaza and refuses to sentence Israel’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians.
Shouldn’t we be talking strongly for an instantaneous everlasting ceasefire in Gaza like a lot of the world somewhat than becoming a member of in bombing one of many world’s poorest nations? A ceasefire in Gaza would finish the assaults on Pink Sea delivery and dramatically cut back tensions throughout the Center East.
That’s what an unbiased New Zealand would have executed.
As an alternative of delight, most of us really feel disgrace because the world now seems on us as a small, obsequious appendage to the US empire – an empire which has blocked three UN Safety Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The killing of civilians and the taking of civilian hostages is a warfare crime underneath the fourth Geneva conference and should at all times be condemned, regardless of who the perpetrator. We have been proper to sentence the killing of Israeli civilians however our authorities’s refusal to sentence the killing of over 26,000 Palestinians, together with over 12,000 youngsters, and even name for an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza leaves an indelible stain on our repute.
Our lack of independence was on show once more two weeks in the past when the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice discovered a believable case exists that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. As an alternative of backing up the courtroom ruling with calls for Israel finish the killing of Palestinians New Zealand has been all however silent with the Prime Minister blundering his manner via query time in parliament with out a clue about our worldwide duties.
Whereas all however ignoring the genocide ruling by the ICJ Christopher Luxon was fast to halt New Zealand funding for the United Nations Reduction and Works Company over Israeli allegations 12 of UNRWA’s 30,000 staff have been alleged terrorists. A traditional diversion by Israel to keep away from the dreadful fact of their killing of Palestinians in Gaza. New Zealand fortunately joined the diversion.
Why are Israeli assaults on UNRWA a lot extra essential for the Prime Minister than genocide dedicated towards the Palestinian individuals?
The straightforward fact is we’re swimming towards the good tide of humanity which stands with Palestinians.
Our authorities has pushed us into the darkish shadow of US/Israeli insurance policies of oppression and domination. We have to be again out within the solar.
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