Response To Green Party Press Release Re: Gaza

Response To Green Party's Ill-Advised And Factually Incorrect Press Release Re: Gaza

Dr Kennedy Graham is completely incorrect in his assertion that Israel's current ferocious assault on Gaza is a military response "mounted
in response to provocation from Gaza." ['NZ Must Make Position Clear on Israel-Gaza Conflict]

In fact there was a truce, which Gaza observed - and which ISRAEL BROKE by the extra-judicial assassination of Ahmad Al Jaabari on Wednesday, a fact also noted by Richard Falk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories.

It is a profound pity that Dr Kennedy Graham does not acquaint himself with the facts, but blindly accepts and perpetuates the USraeli PR spin on what is a civilian massacre in Gaza.

Perhaps Dr Graham could find more information if the Israelis were not conducting a targeted assassination campaign against journalists in Gaza with US-made weapons, such as yesterday's attacks on Al Quds Channel and the many media agencies located in the Al-Shrouk building, which injured 8 members of the press. These events were followed today by the rocket attack on a car carrying journalists, killing the driver and injuring the other occupants - and the latest atrocity only moments ago where two press personnel were killed and another injured in another rocket strike on the Al-Shrouk building.

Mr Kennedy, please spare the people of Gaza your ill-informed advice, however well-intentioned.

This is a massacre, not a diplomatic exercise, and requires a damn sight more than a position statement from the New Zealand government to prevent more cold-blooded killings of innocent civilians, including those whose profession requires them to expose the extent of the atrocities to the outside world.

Julie Webb-Pullman

ENDS

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