New Zealand Should Take A Stand

19 January 2009
Press Release – For Immediate Release

The National-led Government has revealed its moral bankruptcy by its failure to take a stand for human rights during the latest Israeli attack on Gaza, says Alliance Party Spokesperson Matthew Stephen. While Israel has now declared a unilateral ceasefire, over 1000 Palestinians are dead, thousands more are wounded, and much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble.

"If our National Government had any moral credibility New Zealand would cut diplomatic ties with Israel like Venezuela and Bolivia have done. The New Zealand Government cut its ties with Israel when Mossad agents were caught with counterfeit kiwi passports, but it won't when hundreds of women and children have been murdered."

Mr Stephen pointed out that Evo Morales, the socialist president of Bolivia, is filing charges of crimes against humanity against the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. "New Zealand should also stand up for the human rights of the people of Palestine and not the chauvinist right of Israel to murder its enemies with impunity. New Zealand should cut its ties with Israel and demand that the people in the Israeli government who launched the war be brought to justice by the International Criminal Court."

Mr Stephen also pointed out the role of the United States in perpetuating the Middle East conflict. "Israel would not get away with its militarised apartheid without the unconditional backing of New Zealand's supposed friend and ally, the United States. The US undermined the UN Security Resolution calling for a ceasefire. The US government has launched numerous illegal military actions and invasions throughout the world, and its leaders are war criminals. And yet these are the people that National and Labour want to be our friends!"

Mr Stephen said that in the short term, New Zealand should call on Israel to lift immediately the blockade of Gaza, to end the occupation of all lands occupied in 1967 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 242, and to dismantle its covert nuclear weapons capabilities.

Matthew Stephen also called on the people of Egypt to open the Rafah border with Gaza.

ENDS

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