In August, NZFOI held a farewell reception for Amb. Ran Yaakoby as he ends his extended tenure in New Zealand.
So much has happened on his watch. Here’s the recording of the reception.
How October 7 impacted the NZ Holocaust Centre
Last week, Kris Clancy joined our Christchurch meeting to discuss the work of the Holocaust Centre, how he came to work for them, and how October 7 has significantly impacted the Centre’s work.
The recording of our meeting can be viewed here
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Shalom.
Our latest newsletter is out
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A deal will embolden more October 7 attacks
[NZFOI: Published in the Christchurch Press, June 13]
Dear Sir/Madam
John Minto (11 June 2024) states that loss of life could have been avoided if a negotiated deal had been closed.
A negotiated deal would embolden Hamas and others to repeat October 7 type attacks. Indeed, Hamas has promised exactly that.
Hamas puts civilians in harm’s way by holding hostages among them.
There are two tangata whenua who cherish the same land. Both were offered statehood. One thought let’s give co-existence a shot and accepted. The other thought, no, and gambled on a winner takes all, fight to the death. They lost. People have been dying ever since.
Jews have lived continuously in the region for nearly 4,000 years. To brand Jews as colonialists is to rob an indigenous people of their right to return.
Misusing the term genocide to mean any mass killing, is attention seeking exaggeration and disrespects the victims of genuine genocides, the Armenians, the Tutsis and the Jews.
Hamas wanted war when they attacked on October 7, they got it. They wanted shahids (martyrs) for their propaganda war, they got that too. They wanted humanitarian aid to store in tunnels and sell. They got that too. They want to destroy Israel, they won’t get that.
Regards
Tony Kan
Conflicted Christians: How to approach the Israeli-Gaza War 2023
Here we give some ideas on how to reconcile some of the issues that conflict Christians regarding the Israeli-Gaza War of 2023:
1. How do we reconcile scriptures that command us to “love our enemies” and “turn the other cheek” with ideas of justice, self defense and war?
In Romans 12 and 13 we have clues to the answer to this question:
In Romans 12 it says:
“Be patient in tribulation” Romans 12:12
“Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse you” Romans 12:13
“Repay no one evil for evil” Romans 12:17
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” Romans 12:18
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will hea burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
These exhortations are right and true at an individual level.
Paul then takes the conversation up to a whole new level when he discusses the role of our governing authorities in Romans 13:1-6:
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.”
In these verses, governing authorities bear “the sword” to:
• Protect the vulnerable;
• Punish wrongdoing; and
• Prevent further wrongdoing.
This framework can help you to make sense of Hamas and the Israeli government’s objectives and conduct in this war.
That is, how is Hamas or the Israeli government, protecting the vulnerable, punishing wrongdoing and preventing further wrongdoing?
2. From a biblical perspective, should we take sides?
There are a number of perspectives that can inform the Christian on this question.
We are to do justice: Micah 6:8 requires Christians to “do justice.”
Justice is rightly symbolized by a statue of a woman who is:
• Blindfolded: This is to show that justice is impartial. Christians should not take sides.
• Holds a set of scales: Good justice should be based on good evidence. But not all evidence is good and must be weighted or tested. In war, the first casualty is the truth. Thus we should not jump to conclusions. Information must be tested. Where has it come from? Is it verified?
• Holds a sword: Justice must punish wrongdoers and deter wrongdoers from further wrongdoing.
Christians are connected to Israel, and the future of Israel and Jews are tied up with the future of Christians: There are many Christians who connect Israel to Christianity from a eschatological (or prophetic) perspective. Inevitably these discussions take enquirers into realms of much speculation and conjecture. For this reason, we won’t go into this topic at all.
Paul says:
* Christians should call Abraham their father (Romans 4:16-17).
* Christians are fellow heirs of the Promises (Eph 3:6). And those promises relate directly to the Land of Israel (Gen 15:7).
* Christians are adopted into the family of God (Gal 4:4-7).
* The gifts given to Israel are irrevocable (Romans 11:26ff).
* The dividing wall between those with a Jewish heritage and non-Jewish heritage is broken down, united as one (Eph 2:13ff)
* Christians are in some way grafted in to the Jewish metaphorical tree (Romans 11:11ff).
Taken together, there is sufficient there to suggest that the future of those with a Jewish heritage, Israel and Christians are in some cosmic way tied together.
Though connected, Christians must still “do justice.”
3. OK, I get that we have to do justice, so but it seems unfair and tragic that over 35,000 Gazans have died when only 1,200 died on the Israeli side of the border on October 7?
First, we must weigh the evidence. The 35,000 figure is produced by the Gazan Ministry of Health. This organization is governed by Hamas who administer Gaza at the end of a deadly weapon. The figure doesn’t different differentiate between civilians and combatants, nor natural casualties such as death from old age, car accidents or cancer.
Secondly, we have already said that the Israeli government has a duty to protect the vulnerable, punish wrongdoing and prevent further wrongdoing. It’s the third leg that requires a war. Hamas has already promised that however long it takes, it is committed to carrying out more October 7-like attacks. The Israel government therefore has no choice but to eliminate Hamas otherwise other groups such as Islamic Jihad will be emboldened to copy these attacks too.
The UN has carried out research on urban warfare in recent history throughout the world. They found that for every combatant killed, about 9 civilians are killed too.
The IDF estimate they have killed over 10,000 Hamas combatants. If this and the 35,000 figure is to be believed, then the ratio in Gaza is about 1 to 3.5. A figure much lower than the UN’s historical finding of 1 to 9.
How is it so low? Because Israel is giving away the element of surprise and warning where it will attack in advance so that civilians can evacuate. But of course, this allows Hamas to evacuate too as civilians are no good as human shields if they are not nearby. Unfortunately, that also means that the war will be prolonged.
4. Is Israel targeting children?
War is hell. And civilians, especially in an urban battlefield, are tragically put in harm’s way.
In the first four months of the war it seemed like the majority of news items had a dead, dying or wounded children on display.
Yet there were three other major conflicts under way in the world, in the Ukraine, Myanmar and Yemen. There are children dying in those conflicts too, but they aren’t being covered in the same way.
The pictures and video footage are coming from Gazan photographers and videographers. Many of whom are affiliated or even controlled by Hamas.
Hamas knows that they cannot win a conventional military war, so this is a war to win hearts and minds after the Ukraine sucked the oxygen away from the Palestinian cause and Arab nations were tired of funding them when they were repeatedly rejecting offers of statehood.
Therefore, they are intentionally putting children in front of cameras to undermine support for Israel, promote the underdog story and reinforce their victimhood.
You are being played.
6. But why has Israel destroyed so many civilian structures, and fought in schools, hospitals and UN facilities?
The London Underground has some 160 km of tunnels. The NYC subway has 420 km of tunnels. Gaza is the size of Ashburton. Yet there are 500-700 km of tunnels dug under there. If there are so many tunnels, what percentage of civilian blocks have no tunnels? Very few. Putting tunnels and exit holes in residential buildings turns them into legitimate military targets.
Returning hostages and soldiers have said the tunnels are often some fifty feet deep or more. This is why Israel has used very large bombs to destroy them.
Under international laws of war, if a civilian structure is used for military purposes, it loses its immunity. Hamas believes it is acceptable to fight from residential apartments, and use schools, UN facilities and hospitals for weapons storage and operational command posts.
There are several interviews of captured Hamas operatives who have explained that they do so because Israel by and large, does not bomb schools, hospitals and UN facilities.
6. Has Israel committed genocide?
Nearly all independent commentators have examined this issue and decided that in the context of the October 7 attacks, and Hamas’ public statements that they intend to repeat them, then the measures Israel has taken to prevent further attacks, is justified and not an attempt to commit genocide.
Most people misinterpreted the International Court of Justice’s ruling earlier in the year. In fact, they said that its plausible for South Africa to have the right to bring a case, and that the Gazans had a plausible right to be protected from genocide.
They did not rule that the claim of genocide was plausible.
7. Are the Palestinians victims of colonisation?
At its heart, two tangata whenua cherish the same land. Both were offered statehood. One was willing to give coexistence a shot, and accepted. The other rejected the offer, and opted for a winner takes all, fight to the death. And there has been dying ever since.
Settler colonisation is about foreigners displacing tangata whenua from their homeland, not tangata whenua returning to their homeland.
The land was never stolen from them as the Arabs never had manu whenua over the Land. They gave up their opportunity for much of the land when they gambled on winning their winner takes all, fight to the death, and lost.
The Nakba is the basis for their victimhood, and it is a lie, a falsehood.
Talking to Family, Friends and Loved ones about the Middle East Conflict
The other day, a mother shared with me how her daughter was shocked to think that her parents sided with Israel amidst “the genocidal massacre of Palestinian children.” They have since agreed that this topic is off-limits. This mother talked about how much anxiety it caused her, know that there was this rift be-tween them. How can we talk to our family, friends and loved ones? Here’s a guide to ensure that your conversations will be constructive.
- Find out how much they know first. Listen. We’ve noticed that most pro-Palestinian advocates, actually don’t know the facts behind the conflict. For example, when they chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”, often they say the river is the Nile, or the Euphrates. The Sea is the Red Sea or even the Indian Ocean. From experience about two-thirds of people we encounter don’t know and they’ve just jumped on the bandwagon based on propaganda. Listen more talk less.
- Don’t get frustrated, angry, or upset.
If you catch yourself getting grumpy, then you’re starting to try to win them to your way of seeing things. Don’t. They will probably feel threatened or pressured and the discussion will end with neither of you any wiser. - Formulate your answer from what you find out.
In the above example, if you have the opportunity, show them a simple map and point out the sea and the river, and ask what’s in between. Then you can ask if they intended that Israel should be done away with. 2/3rds say no. Let me rethink this. - Look for common ground.
When I was confronted by an angry young man, he was quite disarmed when I compli-mented him for his passion for justice. The conversation stopped being combative immediately. - Don’t lecture.
Keep your answers short. In this day and age, where everything comes in short articles, attention spans can be really short. Think about how to phrase what you want to say effectively and efficiently. - Invite them to read widely and do their own investigations.
None of this happened under a rock. Finding articles, and books should be easy. But reading widely means reading material that look at both sides of the controversy. Otherwise they are just in an echo chamber. - Don’t try to convince them of your view. Don’t debate. Don’t try to win.
Let the facts speak for themselves. There are plenty of them. Don’t raise your voice. Don’t make their conclusions for them. Let them make up their own minds. - Be prepared: Read widely yourself
So much of the pro-Palestinian movement relies on re-writing history and jumping to conclusions without the facts. Do the opposite. Read wisely. Reflect. - Don’t wait until you know everything.
You don’t have to know everything. Each conversation is an opportunity to learn from the other person. Listen to how they support their argument. If you don’t know about it, you can go and research it and circle back. - Every time you have a conversation with someone, it is an opportunity to learn and refine your messaging.
That’s right. Don’t wait until you know everything and/or your messaging is perfect. Learning by doing is an essential way to improve.
—
NZFOI. This article was first published in the March 2024 issue of our newsletter.
The latest billboard campaign is launched: Let my people go!
The latest billboard campaign is up! It’s on the corner of Hagley Ave and Moorhouse Ave. Just along from the netball courts.
One of the busiest streets in Christchurch, plenty of eyeballs see this one!
Great location and getting lots of positive feedback.
Kol hakavod to Shalom New Zealand and all the donors! There are billboards in Auckland and Wellington too but ran out of funds for Hamilton.
If you want to get behind this, follow the instructions on our website (www.nzfoi.org) how to make a donation.
Don’t forget to email us your details to get a tax receipt if you’re in New Zealand.
Sheree Trotter: Indigenous Peoples and Israel
Last week we had Dr Sheree Trotter as a guest to our Christchurch meeting.
Today, one hears that the Palestinians are an indigenous people that is having their homeland stolen from them by the white settler colonialists, the Jews. Is this true?
The events of October 7 have divided New Zealanders. The connection to indigenous rights has created fault lines for our Maori community.
On Thursday, we were delighted to welcome Dr Sheree Trotter to talk to us about the establishment of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem and her views on how the Middle East Conflict has impacted her Maori Community.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr Sheree Trotter is a researcher, writer, and co-director of the Indigenous Coalition For Israel. She also co-founded the Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation, Aotearoa New Zealand (formerly Shadows of Shoah). Sheree is Māori (Te Arawa) and earned her PhD in History at the University of Auckland.
Here is an audio recording from the meeting.
Christchurch 100 days address
On January 14, a bike ride and march were held to mark 100 days of captivity for the remaining hostages held by Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. This was the address we gave at the gathering:
“Thank you for coming out today to show your support for the hostages.
My name is Tony Kan, President of the NZ Friends of Israel Association Incorporated.
As we’ve said before, today marks 100 days since October 7, since Israelis were cruelly attacked, atrocities committed and innocent civilians were ripped from their homes and held hostage.
It means a lot to the families of the hostages to know that you support them.
In NZ there are weekly vigils like this one organized by those who want to see the hostages freed and the people of Israel safe.
We want to thank Shalom New Zealand and its volunteers for creating the billboard campaign that has raised awareness of this tragedy to so many in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
We want to thank Bobby, Ariela, Ravit and others for sacrificing their time and energy to organize these weekly vigils.
There are hundreds of others who are sacrificing their time to debate and show their support on social media. We thank them too.
But in marking 100 days, we also recognize that the fight to bring back the hostages and to win Israel’s safety is not over.
This struggle may last many more months, if not years.
Churchill said:
In war: Be resolute
In Defeat: Be defiant
In victory: be magnanimous
In peace: be of good will.
This is the time to be resolute. Relentless. Enduring. Don’t give up. Do more than hang in there. Get on the front foot. Write to your mayor. Write to your MP. Write to Winston Peters. Write to Chris Luxon.
A cease fire will only take the pressure off Hamas and prolong captivity.
To those who are afraid because of the Anti-Semitism that has become so apparent in recent weeks, even in New Zealand.
Now that anti-semitism is out in the open, we can fight it.
Be strong. Be defiant. The only way to beat bullies is to stand up to them.
Have you ever wondered why Hashem commanded “be bold and courageous” in the Torah?
It is because there is a likelihood that we wouldn’t feel bold and courageous.
Hashem never commands you to do something impossible. For with Hashem, all things are possible. So be bold and courageous.
To those supporters who don’t count themselves as Jews yet you can recognize evil, when you see it:
Before October 7, anti-semitism in NZ was always here. Growing like mushrooms in the dark, fed by lies and conspiracy theories.
On September 4, 1942, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. reported that:
When the King of Denmark was told the Germans were going to press for the introduction of the Yellow Badge for Jews, he declared:
“When this happens, I shall wear the Yellow Star on my uniform in public and I shall order the entire Royal household to follow my example.”
The king of Denmark has shown us a key. You too can fight anti-Semitism by publicly and visually showing that you stand with all Jews.
When the anti-Semites realize that they cannot bully people into submission they will lose their nerve.
Stand up to Antisemitism wherever and whenever you encounter it. And give it a symbolic stiff uppercut.
To those who follow Hashem, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, thank you for your prayers.
But remember the struggle, is not over.
Hamas continues to fight. Hostages are still in captivity and those who support Hamas in other countries are taking up arms.
Be resolute. Don’t stop.
Many of us limit our fight to what we can see.
But you who pray, like Elisha’s servant, who saw the hosts of angels above his city, know that this is only one part of the struggle.
Be resolute. Don’t stop.
To the families of the hostages, you are not alone. Know that even in a country, as far away as at the ends of the earth, there are thousands of people who are deeply concerned about your plight.
To the hostages, in case you see any phone footage of this demonstration, we urge you to
stay strong,
to keep believing that you will be free.
We won’t give up on you,
we will do all within our power to bring you back.
Finally,
The DCM, Yael Horan, at the Embassy of Israel has asked us,
the Christchurch community of supporters to adopt one of the hostage families.
One of the families that was taken hostage, was the Bibas Family.
They are a family who lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz
which is a community well known for its peace activism.
Their youngest, Kfir, was nine months old when he was kidnapped.
His first birthday is going to be this Thursday, January 18.
To mark his birthday, NZ Friends of Israel will be holding a special meeting at the Halswell Center at 7.30pm.
See you there.
Thank you.”
