NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc was invited to take part in an interview with Marama Davidson; an unnamed veteran of a previous flotilla; an unnamed migrant Palestinian; and hosted by Martyn Bradbury.

Unfortunately we were yesterday advised that it would be recorded at 7pm tonight, and so with such short notice, we weren’t able to take part.

However, in order to contribute to the event and provide a balancing voice, NZFOI sent this statement to Waatea 5th Estate:

Waatea 5^th Estate
UMA Broadcasting Ltd
Box 43 157
Mangere
Auckland 2153

Emailed:  Martyn Bradbury <bomberbradbury@gmail.com>

Dear Martyn,

Re: Waatea 5th Estate Panel Discussion on Women’s Flotilla to Gaza

Thank you for inviting us on the panel to discuss the upcoming Women’s flotilla to Gaza; and as you say, in particular “what this Flotilla will hope to achieve and the wisdom of it.” Unfortunately, the last-minute nature of the invite means a NZ Friends of Israel representative cannot attend in person. However, we would like to address some of the issues in this statement.

Firstly, we must acknowledge that there is a need for aid in Gaza and, unfortunately, there are many places around the world where people are struggling to provide food, shelter, and medical support for themselves and their families.

This is made all the more difficult when terror organisations divert aid from those who need it to support militant activities. In Gaza, Hamas has misappropriated cement intended for reconstruction, to build terror tunnels and has taken aid money to fund rockets and ‘martyrs’. This is why there is a need to screen the goods that enter Gaza.

It is important to note that there was no blockade in 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. After Hamas won the election in 2006, Israel and “The Quartet on the Middle East” (US, Russia, UN, EU) imposed economic sanctions and restrictions on Gaza. The naval blockade and land crossing policies were instituted as a response to rocket attacks and expressly for the purpose of stemming the flow of weapons into Gaza. The measures were deemed legal in the 2010 UN report following a flotilla attempt. In order to lift the blockade, Hamas must renounce violence against Israel, recognize Israel, and honor all previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. To try and lift the blockade without a change from Hamas would put not only Palestinian but also Israeli citizens’ lives at risk.

The blockade also does not prevent Israel facilitating the movement of thousands of trucks of goods into Gaza or fifteen thousand people crossing the border each day, with capacity for much more should Hamas allow it. Neither does the blockade stop a number of organisations working in Gaza to ensure that the most needy people are looked after. For example, Save A Child’s Heart takes children from Gaza to Israel for life-saving cardiac operations.

One of the stated goals of the flotilla is to breach the Israeli maritime blockade of Gaza. This is in defiance of the Sir Geoffrey Palmer led report to the UN which said that “People may, of course, freely express their views by peaceful protest. But to deliberately seek to breach a blockade in a convoy with a large number of passengers is in the view of the Panel a dangerous and reckless act”. In order to maintain the legal blockade, Israel must stop any boat attempting to breach it. That is why the previous attempts have ended with the Israeli navy interceptions and arrests.

Kia Ora Gaza admitted that the last flotilla, which had a Maori TV crew on board, was a publicity stunt. This flotilla is no different and it is disappointing to see that the Green Party is involved. Given the needs of many different groups, it seems to us rather a waste to spend $25,000 – what Kia Ora Gaza hope to raise – on a publicity stunt when that money could buy essential food or medical supplies.

Twenty-five thousand dollars could also go a long way for the Women’s Affairs Center in Gaza, or the Women’s Unit of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which both appear to do good work in promoting women’s rights, gender equality and providing domestic violence counselling. Instead, the money is being used to try and garner publicity to demonise Israel.

There are multiple “indigenous” people groups that have legitimate historical and cultural claims in the region.  It is concerning to us that the Green Party would associate with a group like Kia Ora Gaza, which has openly justified violence against Israelis and supports an extremist one-state solution to the Arab Palestinian-Israeli conflict rather than the almost universally-supported, and UN-backed, two-state solution. Kia Ora Gaza has also promoted anti-Semitic libels on their Facebook page and Roger Fowler has compared Israel to Islamic State.  The Green Party is not helping to build peace by endorsing such messages.

Furthermore, the press releases from the organisers and from the Green Party have selectively focussed only on demonising Israel. There has been no discussion of Egypt’s blockade, which, unlike Israel, does not allow any aid trucks or people to cross the border. There has also been no discussion of the treatment of the people in Gaza by their government. Hamas is an Islamist organisation that took power with a bloody coup in 2006 and has a charter that seeks the destruction of Israel.

The Green Party and Kia Ora Gaza do not mention the human rights abuses committed by Hamas against both Israelis and its own people, including its murderous persecution of gays and political opponents, its willingness to sacrifice its own civilians as human shields (while Hamas leaders take shelter in the safety of bomb shelters or the luxury of five star hotels in Qatar), its exploitation of child labour in building the terror tunnels, its recruitment of women to be ‘martyrs’, and its failure to deliver its people any progress or solutions beyond violently attacking Israel. A policy that has only brought ruin and death.

Under the rule of Hamas, women in Gaza are not allowed to walk in public without a male chaperone and domestic violence in Gaza has affected 63% of women with almost half believing they deserved the beatings. The motivations and intentions of the flotilla must be called into question when such facts are missing from the discussion that Ms Davidson wants to have and foster.

We believe that the primary causes of the deprivation, hardship, and loss of life suffered by the people of Gaza are the policies of their government, Hamas. No one wants to see the people of Gaza senselessly suffer. Anyone who wishes to relieve their suffering should focus on urging Hamas to put aside violence and begin negotiations with Israel for establishing a peaceful State in which their people can not only live, but thrive.

Rather than promote peace, sadly the Flotilla will put lives at risk and most likely enflame and polarise the situation rather than bring the opposing parties together so that peace negotiations can be nurtured.

We hope you will read this statement on your show to give some balance to the programme. If there is an opportunity for other appearances, please do give us as much warning as you can.

Ideally we need to know at least a couple of weeks in advance of the date on which you would like to record an interview, who the participants will be and your discussion guide (which usually comprises a set of questions that have been prepared by your interviewer to use during the interview).

In this case, letting us know yesterday that the interview will be recorded today, is just not enough time for us to give it the regard that this important topic deserves.

Regards,

Tony Kan
President
NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc.  

You can watch the panel discussion here, at 7pm August .