The Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel condemns the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/ES-10/L.31/Rev.1 of 18 September 2024, which demands Israel end ‘unlawful presence’ in Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The reasons for our condemnation of the resolution are:

1. Israel has a right to be on those lands termed Occupied Palestinian Territories because it is the Jewish people’s ancient indigenous land, with a documented historical connection proven in Biblical scriptures and other historical accounts. The Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria, known also as the West Bank, have a right to be there too, but not exclusive of Jews who also have that right.
2. Israel needs to exercise control over those lands because of the terrorist threat to Israel’s sovereignty. The separation wall spoken of in the resolution was created to keep suicide bombers out of Israel at the height of the second intifada, and it has proven its effectiveness by stemming such attacks against Israel since then. Any hope of long-term peace needs Israel to control the area.
3. The international community should be encouraging dialogue between the parties involved – namely the Israelis and the Palestinians, helping them to come together for negotiating and settling their disputes through mutual respect and dialogue. Instead, the UN has become judge and executioner in voting for this Palestinian sponsored resolution which promotes bias and discrimination against the Jewish people.
4. Nowhere in the resolution are the atrocities of October 7 mentioned, nor the countless attacks by Palestinian terrorists against innocent Israeli civilians during the century-old conflict, which underlines the need for Israeli security control of the area.

We are offended that New Zealand has voted in favour of this resolution, which lacks insight and foresight. This conflict will not be resolved through one-sided unilateral resolutions by outsiders who cannot appreciate the complexities faced by the State of Israel, which is currently fighting an existential war for its survival.

We call on the Minister of Foreign affairs, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, to rethink his policy and re-align it with our traditional defence partners, none of which voted in favour of this resolution.

COMS-Israel is a group of 65 Church Ministers in New Zealand who come from Pentecostal, Baptist, Brethren, Polynesian, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches who support the right of the Jewish State of Israel to protect its homeland.

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