Justice for Palestine is appalled by the Minister of Defence’s decision to extend the New Zealand Defence Force deployment to the Red Sea until January 2025.
Defence Minister Judith Collins said the decision “is reflective of the continued need to partner and act in line with New Zealand’s values, something we have done regularly in support of Middle East maritime security”.
New Zealand has contributed to international efforts to improve maritime security in the Middle East since the mid-1990s.
There are currently up to 26 NZDF personnel deployed to various coalitions and commands in the region.
Justice for Palestine said the deployment supports a US-led operation targeting the Houthi blockade of shipping routes to Israel in response to Israel’s war on Gaza and its actions preventing the entry of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
In support of this deployment the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon Winston Peters, said the “decision demonstrates our support to the international rules-based system and freedom of navigation”.
Justice for Palestine agreed that the maintenance of international law is fundamentally important, but said the New Zealand Government is being hypocritical in supporting the US-led operation, and ultimately Israel which, they said, is currently disregarding international law and perpetrating war crimes in Gaza.
Justice for Palestine spokesperson Samira Zaiton said, “New Zealand’s efforts in the international arena should be focused on bringing about a ceasefire to end the bombardment and targeted starvation of civilians in Gaza. This decision demonstrates that New Zealand cares more about commerce and aligning itself with the US, that protecting innocent lives.”
“Minister Peters and Minister Collins speak about New Zealand’s ‘values’ and commitment to international law as a way to justify the extension of the deployment into the Red Sea. But where is their concern and action for the gravest breaches of international law and human rights, when it comes to Israel’s genocidal violence on Palestinians?” Zaiton said.
“This is a decision that chooses might over right. This decision continues to align New Zealand with the Israeli regime which is committing war crimes against the Palestinian people, and the United States, which provides billions of dollars of military aid to Israel. It is appalling,” she said.
“The double standard is clear. But perhaps it seems hard to see when they’re inside the pocket of the United States,” Zaiton added.
Justice for Palestine said Israel is being allowed to flout international law and UN Security Council resolutions with impunity, due to the lack of meaningful action by the international community to enforce Israel’s obligations to the people of the occupied territories of Palestine and to hold Israel to account for its breaches of international humanitarian law.
“New Zealand should cease any and all military cooperation with the US and Israel, until there is a ceasefire in Gaza and these states comply with international law. Efforts should be directed to working with the UN and other states to implement the UNSC resolutions for a ceasefire and to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, to end the killing and targeted starvation of the people of Gaza,” Zaiton said.
