NZFOI Address at Farewell Reception for the Ambassador of Israel

Folks, we held a farewell reception for HE Ambassador Ran Yaakoby last Tuesday evening.  

Here is a transcript of our address to His Excellency and the rest of the audience:

Your Excellency Ran Yaakoby, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue and Tonga.

Father Barry Malone of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch

Members of the Committee of New Zealand Friends of Israel

Members of the New Zealand Friends of Israel

Before we get started, there are some housekeeping matters to deal with.

I was flying with a budget Airline in the US called Spirit.

As usual, there was a safety announcement made before the flight began.

They said if an oxygen mask falls down in front of you, please stop screaming, let go of your fellow passenger, if you are travelling with your children, decide which has the most earning potential after college and decide from there who to put the mask on first.

To activate the flow of oxygen, swipe your credit card for the first minute because you are flying Spirit Airlines, a budget airline.

They said:  We won’t let you smoke onboard our aircraft during the flight, but if you can step out on the wing, you may, if you can light it, we will let you smoke it. We are very accommodating at Spirit.

To the rest of the passengers, you’re in for a treat. As soon as the smokers step out on the wing, the inflight movie will automatically change to “Gone with the Wind”.

At NZ Friends of Israel, we are much less dramatic.

In the unlikely event of an earthquake or fire, the exits are well signed, and the assembly point is the car park on Rutland St.

You will not need your credit card.

After the formalities are over, you are very welcome to join us for light refreshments.

The toilets are through that door to my right and right again…

So ends our inflight announcements.

Your excellency, I’m sure that when you were appointed to become the Ambassador for Israel to New Zealand, you wouldn’t have thought that it would be so eventful.

In 2020, COVID-19 swept through the world. We were horrified by what we saw in New York City and Italy, which dismayed the world and countries worldwide went into lockdown.

The world owes a debt to Israel who took actions that gave the world much more confidence to use the new vaccines.

Who knows how many millions of lives were saved by your country’s courage?

In a breakthrough step toward long-term peace, the Abrahamic Accords meant normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

In the West, four horsemen have been unleashed into the world and are causing mayhem and confusion, dividing societies and weakening their ability to discern good from evil.

These four horsemen are Settler Colonialism, Critical Race Theory, Neo-Marxism and Linguistic Theft.

Together they have created a toxic mix that has allowed the false accusations of colonialism, apartheid, illegal occupiers, genocide, and baby killers against Israel to take hold.

Your excellency, we see these things and we know that:

1. Jews are indigenous to the region and to call Jews colonizers is a lie.

2. Jews come in all different races and colors and to call them white settler colonialists is a lie.

3. We see people of different races and religions given equal access to education, employment and so we see them in every walk of life, in government, in the judiciary, in academia, in commerce, in trades, delivery people, cleaners, and civil servants; at every level of society no matter how much prestige that level gets, and so we know the accusation of apartheid is another lie.

4. It’s been nearly fifty years since NZ has seen war. For most of us we’ve never seen it first hand. War is ugly. War is tragic. Civilians die in war; The UN studied modern urban warfare and said that the ratio of civilian deaths to combatant deaths is about 9 to 1.

Yet all military experts agree that Israel has taken steps to evacuate civilians from the battlefront, have brought this ratio down from 9 to 1 to 1.5 to 2.5 to 1. Unfortunately in saving lives, the element of surprise is lost and so the war is prolonged. Yet, there are no regrets, for we all agree life is precious.

We all want the killing to stop. But war is necessary, because every government has a duty to protect its vulnerable, punish wrongdoing and to deter further wrongdoing.  Hamas has promised that given the oppportunity, it will repeat October 7 all over again.  Only war can prevent Hamas from fulfilling their promise.

Hamas knew that Oct 7 would bring war. And it would put their people in harm’s way. Yet they pulled the trigger anyway and hid in their tunnels while their women and children paid the price.

Even the ICJ judge who presided over the question of genocide stated that her court’s decision was misreported by media. Thus the accusation of genocide is also a lie.

5. We see Israeli Arabs and other minorities saying they wouldn’t want to live under the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, or Hezbollah. We don’t see people lining up to emigrate to China, Russia, your neighbouring countries or Northern Africa.

They want to live in freedom, and thus there are people queuing to live in Israel, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. There is a reason. They want to live in freedom. Thus the neo-Marxist accusation that Israel is an oppressor is also a lie. The wise and sensible know this and they are voting with their feet.  Thus the accusation that Israel is the oppressor tyranny based on neo-Marxist ideas, is also a lie.

6. We see the linguist thieves who try to hijack words like resistance and occupation as if they can share in the honor and nobility of the French Resistance of WW2.

But did the French Resistance ever execute German civilians at gunpoint like in October 7?

Did they take German civilians hostage like in October 7? Did they roast German babies in ovens?

Did they rape German girls in front of their parents like in October 7?

In hijacking the idea of resistance they tarnish the good work of the French Resistance.

Through linguistic theft, they try to steal the word resistance and claim its nobility for themselves.

Churchill once said that the first casualty of war is the truth. And indeed, Israel is beset by a concerted campaign of mis- and disinformation that has gathered so much momentum that it has created a kind of anti-semitic hysteria.

The big lie can be beaten. We can beat it with the Truth. In truth, there is freedom. We certainly need to be more savvy and direct in our messaging.

And unfortunately, it may take more war to beat tyranny. Many NZers have a strong belief in pacificism. Unfortunately, the world in which swords will be beaten into plowshares is not yet.

While some people believe that the only way to accomplish their goals is through a winner-take-all, fight to the death, a strong robust defense is necessary.

The world is in a fight between freedom and tyranny. Israel is at the forefront of this battle.

Tyranny may try to hide behind religion, it may hide behind political philosophies such as Self-Determination, Marxism, Nationalism, and Communism. But in the end, tyranny is the true source of oppression.

October 7 was horrific and revealed the depth of evil that Tyranny can bring.

But adversity can also bring out the best in people.

In New Zealand, many New Zealanders have seen fit to organize marches and vigils to support Israel and the hostages.

I’d like to publicly thank Bobby and Judah Meyer, Ravit Abraham, and Orla for organizing the weekly Solidarity march and vigil at the Bridge of Remembrance. It has been held without a break, rain or shine since October. [clap]

I know there are many of you that have regularly attended the Solidarity march, risking abuse, hot sun, heavy rain and freezing wind. I would like us to show our appreciation to your commitment to righteousness too. [clap]

Other NZers have travelled to Israel and brought back stories that have greatly moved us.

We had Bryce Turner speak at one of our events and we were horrified by the story of a raped teenager who subsequently discovered she was pregnant.

As the adults in her family argued about the fate of the baby, the girl emerged from her room, to rightly declare that the baby had done nothing wrong, and the baby would live.

Tyranny and evil bring great tragedy. But it also brings out the best among the noble and true.
New Zealand and Israel share many values.

We both believe that all humans are created equal, we both believe in democracy, the freedom of speech, freedom of association, the freedom of religion, an independent news industry, a separation of government from police, the military and the judiciary; we both believe in the rule of law.

No matter what people may say, Israel today is a shining light of democracy, a source of economic growth and employment, and a great example of plurality and tolerance.

These values are antithetical to tyrants. As long as Israel exists, it might give ideas to the citizens of neighbouring countries, ideas that might make them want freedom too.

A significant number of NZers feel joined to all Jews in Israel and the diaspora because they worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Not all New Zealanders are taken in by the big lie.

NZ Friends of Israel and other supporters in our community can see through the big lie.

October 7 has shocked us too and reminded us of the grim reality that some are not just debating ideas, but are prepared to take away our freedom to impose their will on us through deadly force.

Since October 7, our community has been galvanized into action, in many towns and cities there are brave organizers who have led regular marches and vigils for the hostages.

There are those who are devoting themselves to be social media warriors, recognizing that, social media is a significant debating chamber of today’s modern society and that this is an important battlefront.

We NZers join all Jews in Israel and the Diaspora in working towards a lasting peace in the Middle East, a Middle East where all peoples may flourish, mutually contributing to the success and prosperity of each other. Where one day, swords may be turned into plowshares. But that time is not yet.

As you return to Israel, I hope that you will not feel that Jews in Israel or in the Diaspora stand alone against the dark forces of evil.

Instead, you will know that you have many friends in New Zealand, friends who are faithful and true, who will not give up on you, who will proudly stand with you, and speak up for you, until righteousness prevails.

Thank you.

Am Yisrael Chai.