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→ 24 July 2025
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Joint Statement in Response to Government Declaration on Gaza

Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs for New Zealand
Winston Peters, NZ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

We, the undersigned organisations, express grave concern over the recent  joint declaration by New Zealand and 24 other nations condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and accusing it of obstructing humanitarian aid.

This statement is not only misguided, it represents a dangerous inversion of reality, in which:

  • Terrorists are excused, and defenders are condemned;
  • Hamas’s propaganda is cited as fact, and verified Israeli efforts are ignored;
  • The thief is pitied, and those delivering food under fire are vilified.
     

Blaming the Rescuers, Not the Arsonists

The joint statement accuses Israel of “inhumane” killing and “drip-feeding” aid. Yet it is Hamas (the very group that started this war with a massacre on October 7 2023) that:

  • Steals aid, sells it, and redistributes it to fighters;
  • Creates disturbances and fires on civilians at aid stations to induce panic and lay blame on Israel;
  • Places bounties on aid workers not under its control.
     

To accuse Israel of causing the humanitarian crisis while ignoring Hamas’s central role is to blame the firefighter for the fire. Israel has worked hard to coordinate necessary aid to the extent that there are currently hundreds of truckloads of food on the Gaza side of the border in need of distribution. Thus, there is no “drip-feeding” by Israel.

Treating Terrorist Casualty Reports as Gospel

The casualty numbers cited (tens of thousands of “civilians” killed) come directly from Hamas’s so-called “Gaza Health Ministry.” This is not a neutral medical authority. It is:

  • A Hamas-run information weapon, whose sole aim is to inflate civilian casualties;
  • A notoriously unreliable source. Due to inconsistencies the UN has quietly revised its own reporting;
  • Completely opaque and unverifiable, with no distinction between combatants and civilians.
     

When governments like New Zealand cite these figures without context or scrutiny, they lend credibility to terrorists and undermine genuine humanitarian reporting.

Condemning What Works, Ignoring What Fails

While condemning Israel, the joint statement says nothing about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — the one aid mechanism that actually works:

  • GHF delivers aid using vetted drivers, uses GPS tracking and bypass routes around Hamas.
  • It ensures direct civilian access to food and medicine.
  • It has faced threats and sabotage from Hamas, and—most shockingly—refusal to cooperate from UN agencies and NGOs.
     

According to a Times of Israel report (22 July 2025), these agencies have declined GHF’s repeated offers to collaborate, even as they lament “lack of access” and blame Israel. This is not humanitarianism — it is institutional dysfunction.

Calling for Ceasefire While Hostages Rot in Tunnels

The joint statement demands an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire.” But what kind of ceasefire:

  • Leaves 50 hostages in captivity?
  • Enables Hamas to rearm, reorganise, and repeat the horrors of October 7?
  • Forbids Israel from dismantling a terror regime that uses civilians as shields and hospitals as bases?
     

A ceasefire without the above conditions does not end the war. It guarantees the next one.

When Hamas Applauds You, Something Is Wrong

That Hamas has celebrated the joint statement should alarm every signatory. If your position is being used by a terrorist group as vindication, it is time to re-examine whose reality you are serving.

Why does NZ side with terrorists, when a tiny western style democratic state the size of Northland fights an existential defensive war? Israel did not start this war. She has an obligation to defend her citizens, to do everything possible to free the hostages and to protect her people from future 7 October style massacres. 

What Must Happen Now

We urge the New Zealand Government and its partners to:

  1. Withdraw or amend the joint statement, explicitly naming Hamas as the source of Gaza’s suffering;
  2. Publicly support the GHF and demand cooperation from UN and NGO agencies obstructing its work;
  3. Reject the inversion of truth, where democracies are condemned and terror groups are given a free pass;
  4. Recognise that Israel is fighting an existential war, and that peace is not possible if a genocidal terror regime is left in place;
  5. Demand the immediate release of all hostages and urge Hamas to accept the ceasefire.
     

A Final Word: Reality Must Be Respected

This is not a war between equals. It is a fight between a democracy that warns civilians and a death cult that hides behind them. Between those who seek peace and those who glorify death.

Reversing that truth is not diplomacy. It is betrayal.

We call on New Zealand to return to moral clarity — and stop legitimising the lies of Hamas.

Dr David Cumin, Greg Bouwer – Israel Institute NZ
Dr Sheree Trotter – Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem
Nigel Woodley – Coalition of Ministers, Protection of Zion Trust 
Derek McDowell – International Christian Embassy Jerusalem 
Rob Berg – Kol Israel 
Yifat Goddard, Ashley Church – Israel NZ Network 
Dennis Mcleod – Christian Friends of Israel
Bryce Turner – Christians for Israel 
Tony Kan – NZ Friends of Israel Association
Beth Mather – Bridges for Peace

 

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→ 21 July 2025
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Ireland admits there is no Genocide

The accusation that Israel is committing genocide has become a prevailing belief. But it’s so wrong. Ireland knows it too and applied for the ICJ to change the definition of Genocide.

The idea that Israel is committing genocide has been given credibility by South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has been supported by at least 14 other countries.

Yet, one of those supporting countries, Ireland, realising that the case against Israel is weak, applied for the definition of Genocide under the Convention, to be changed.

Ireland argues that the original definition is too narrow.  

The current definition of genocide comes from the 1948 Genocide Convention, which defines it as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. Changing this definition would require amending a foundational treaty, which is extremely difficult and politically sensitive.

The ICJ has consistently held that genocidal intent must be the only reasonable inference from the acts in question. This makes proving genocide very difficult, especially in armed conflict situations where multiple motives may exist.

Redefining genocide to fit a specific case risks politicizing international law and diminishing the gravity of the term. It could set a precedent where states push for legal reinterpretations to suit political goals.

Countries like Ireland, which joined South Africa’s case, have called for a broader interpretation of genocide. However, this move has been criticized as potentially undermining the ICJ’s legitimacy and the integrity of the Genocide Convention.

Expanding the definition could dilute the term’s association with atrocities like the Holocaust, Rwandan genocide, or Bosnia, potentially offending survivors and communities affected by those events.  

In interviews with Medialine, experts, such as Dr Tammy Caner, director of the Law and National Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies, and Dr Eliav Lieblich, a scholar in public international law at Tel Aviv University,  warn that broadening the definition could backfire. It might open the door to more frequent and politically motivated genocide claims, weakening the ICJ’s ability to adjudicate serious cases impartially.

The text of the letter is a double-edged sword for the case since Ireland seems to concede that the accepted interpretation of the crime would not apply in this case and argues that it should be changed. — Dr Eliav Lieblich, Tel Aviv University.

Requesting the ICJ to broaden its interpretation [of the definition of Genocide] explicitly indicates that Israel is not committing genocide. — Dr. Tammy Caner, director of the Law and National Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

Genocide is an emotionally charged word. Perhaps it was originally used against Israel as hyperbole, an exaggeration to get cut-through in the information overloaded world in which we live.

But now it has morphed from an exaggeration, to a belief.  A false belief.  Sadly, even international jurists in the most esteemed court of the world, are not immune to the influence of the madding crowd.

Judge Julia Sebutinde, a Ugandan member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), dissented from the court’s provisional measures order in the case of South Africa v. Israel concerning the situation in Gaza. She disagreed with the majority decision, arguing that the dispute was primarily political rather than a legal matter suitable for judicial settlement. She also found that South Africa had not provided sufficient evidence of genocidal intent by Israel. 

There is a reason why the symbol of justice is blindfolded and carries scales.  Justice requires impartiality and evidence that must be weighed.

The ICJ was first established with the moral hope, to create a peaceful and lawful mechanism for resolving disputes between nations.  A true and noble goal.  But if the court allows itself to become politicized and its credibility is sufficiently damaged, then countries will withdraw from it, as they have done from the International Criminal Court (the ICC), and the original hope will be lost.  We need the ICJ to step up.

 

Filed Under: Opinion
→ 8 May 2025
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Independence Day 2025 creates moment of reflection

Tony Kan (President, NZFOI), HE Ambassador Alon Roth-Snir and Kate MacPherson (Committee Member)

This week, our President, Tony Kan and Kate MacPherson travelled up to Wellington to attend the reception to mark the 77th Anniversary of the Independence of Israel.

To a packed house, the Ambassador spoke about our common values, and the opportunity to forge a stronger relationship between our countries through trade and fighting intolerance.

Jo McKeagan, the Principal Advisor to the Deputy Secretary (Middle East and Africa) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke on behalf of the NZ Government. Most notable of all, this year there was no mention of the creation of an independent Palestinian State, a commitment to a two state solution, or a call for Israel to moderate its military conduct.

In stark contrast to last year, the event was not marked by attendees being harassed by shouting over megaphones and blaring sirens from Pro-Palestinian protesters. Apparently they went to the wrong address.

The reception was also cause to reflect on how things have changed over the last 12 months:

  • Iran had seen its decades long investment in building proxy enemies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime to threaten Israel, have been made combat ineffective. Their senior leadership either dead, in hiding or in exile.
  • Decades of economic mismanagement caused by the Mullah’s fixation on imperialism has left Iranian civilians impoverished and desperate: So desperate that advertisements to sell kidneys to make ends meet are a common occurrence, infrastructure such as water supply networks have become unreliable and the Iranian currency is one of the most worthless in the world.
  • Israel has demonstrated the effectiveness of its covert forces in identifying their enemies’ leadership, their location and to devise ingenious ways to nullify them.
  • Israel now controls the Philadelphia Corridor, preventing Hamas from smuggling in further arms and munitions.
  • Israel is implementing its own aid distribution system, which will severely curtail Hamas’ ability to divert aid for its own consumption. This will hamper its ability to continue the war.
  • The election of a conservative US Government meant that there was no indecision hampering the supply of arms and munitions.
  • Various thinkers, such as Douglas Murray, Melanie Phillips, Tom Holland, and Nigel Biggar are beginning to realize that what makes the West so successful are Judeo-Christian values, precepts and beliefs.

On the other hand, there is a deep sadness and grief over the loss, suffering, and hardship caused by Hamas’ evil, which has taken all around them to doom.

In the immediate, it remains for Israel to end Hamas’ rule in Gaza, place it under administration and begin the slow hard slog to de-radicalize the civilian population. Hamas has used its 20 years to create an Islamo-Fascist state and the culture, unfortunately, now runs deep.

The threat of Iran gaining nuclear weapons is serious and Iran is likely to string out any negotiations reasoning that President Trump has less than four years in power. If the possibility of an agreement that prevents them from developing a nuclear weapon is not possible within this period, then it may be forced to take unilateral action.

Yes, in 12 short months, the balance of power has shifted in the Middle East, and there is much to draw hope from. Churchill said that in war, one must be resolute. But recent events show antisemitism is strong even among some members of NZ society but Israel’s example, should inspire us to show the same robust and resolute response.

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→ 8 May 2025
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The latest newsletter is out!

Masthead of NZ Friends of Israel Assoc Inc Newsletter

The latest newsletter is out and it may be downloaded from here: February Newsletter.

We continue to have email deliverability issues to email accountholders from the following services:

  1. Gmail
  2. Hotmail
  3. Yahoo
  4. Xtra

If you know someone who should be receiving the email and uses one of these email services, feel free to forward the newsletter to them.

Otherwise they may miss out on upcoming events.  The next event is on Tuesday, May 20, see page 8.

Thanks again for your support.  

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→ 8 May 2025
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Rape as a tool of war

ICYMI…

Bari Weiss interviews Sheryl Sandberg about her documentary about October 7, “Screams Before the Silence.”

“The most stunning thing about sexual violence is that it is the most effective tool of war for two reasons:  The first, it’s just effective, you rape women and sometimes their husbands then don’t want to be with them, you tear apart society, they’re carrying babies of their rapists.  What happens then?  …And its free, it’s free, you don’t have to buy a bomb, a rocket, a gun, it’s free, so you can totally terrorize a nation.”

 

Filed Under: Resources
→ 7 May 2025
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UK political bias against Israel

Natasha Haussdorff testifies before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee
Natasha Haussdorff testifies before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee

Natasha Hausdorff and Jonathan Sacerdoti valiantly explain the Middle East Conflict. Watch how the Labour Party MPs become impatient when they don’t get the answers they were hoping for. What they want them to say is that they would endorse their view that the Palestinians should be given a separate state. Instead Hausdorff and Sacerdoti said that Gazan society needs to change their belief that they must kill Jews.

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→ 26 April 2025
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Sacerdoti gives evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee

Jonathan Sacerdoti is a broadcaster, journalist and television producer. The committee seems to be focussed on looking for a simple solution without changing worldviews. It can’t seem to understand that unless the Palestinians are prepared to reject violence and push for peaceful coexistence then peace is not possible.

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized
→ 25 April 2025
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Natasha Hausdorff gives evidence to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee

Hausdorff shows remarkable restraint and professionalism in the face of a biased and partisan chair person, Emily Thornberry. People are not sufficiently skeptical of information being released by combatants in time of war.

Filed Under: News, Resources
→ 23 April 2025
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On Democracies and Death Cults

Our copy of Douglas Murray’s bestselling book has arrived and can now be borrowed from our lending library. Murray is lauded by Israel’s supporters for his moral clarity and Churchillian foresight.

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→ 26 November 2024
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The latest newsletter is out!

The latest newsletter is out and it may be downloaded from here: December-January Newsletter.

We continue to have email deliverability issues to email accountholders from the following services:

  1. Gmail
  2. Hotmail
  3. Yahoo
  4. Xtra

If you know someone who should be receiving the email and uses one of these email services, feel free to forward the newsletter to them.

Otherwise they may miss out on upcoming events.  There are two in December, see page 8.

This has been a tough year, so we really appreciate and thank you for your support.

May the hostages be returned in 2025!

Do have a warm and memorable Hanukkah and Christmas with your family, friends and loved ones.  If you are travelling, may you return safely.

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