On 19 August, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson published a column titled “Gaza and the Government: How to ‘grow a spine.’” It is a striking example of what has gone wrong in New Zealand’s media: commentary on Israel that rests not on facts, international law, or balance — but on the talking points of a proscribed terror organisation.
Wilson’s central claim is that New Zealand has committed a “catastrophic moral failure” by not recognising a Palestinian state and by failing to condemn Israel’s war against Hamas. To support this, he repeats without scrutiny statistics and narratives provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry and by Al Jazeera — both deeply compromised and partisan sources. Let us examine the problems.
1. The Casualty Numbers: Hamas as Sole Source
Wilson cites the Hamas Health Ministry’s claim that 65,000 people have died in Gaza. Nowhere does he mention that independent verification is impossible, that Hamas itself has admitted inflating figures in past conflicts, or that even the United Nations has quietly acknowledged discrepancies in reported numbers.
Israel has provided detailed data on its strikes against Hamas operatives and infrastructure. Independent analysts (including those at the Washington Institute and the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies) have noted that Hamas deliberately embeds fighters in civilian areas to maximise casualties. A writer genuinely interested in truth would grapple with these complexities. Wilson instead amplifies Hamas propaganda as unquestioned fact.
2. “Famine as a Weapon” — Ignoring Hamas’s Role
Wilson accuses Israel of deliberately using famine as a weapon of war. This is a grave charge — but again, he provides no evidence. What he fails to mention is that:
- Israel has facilitated over 500,000 tonnes of aid into Gaza since October 2023.
- Hamas has repeatedly hijacked, stolen, and resold aid (including flour and fuel) to fund its war machine.
- International agencies such as UNRWA have been exposed for collaborating with Hamas, funnelling resources to militants instead of civilians.
By ignoring Hamas’s sabotage of humanitarian distribution, Wilson reverses responsibility: blaming Israel, the state under constant rocket fire, while excusing the terror group diverting aid.
3. The War on Journalists Claim
Wilson repeats Al Jazeera’s claim that 270 journalists have been killed, suggesting Israel is waging a “war on information.” Once again, no evidence is provided. Al Jazeera — funded by the Qatari regime, one of Hamas’s chief backers — has a vested interest in portraying Israel as a suppressor of truth. Many of the so-called “journalists” killed have been documented Hamas operatives or propaganda workers embedded in militant structures.
4. Genocide Accusations and Historical Distortions
Wilson floats the accusation that Israel may be committing genocide, comparing the IDF’s operations to the Allied fire bombings of Dresden and Tokyo. This comparison is misleading and morally bankrupt.
- The Allied bombings deliberately targeted cities to terrorise populations.
- Israel, by contrast, uses precision-guided strikes, roof-knocking warnings, evacuation corridors, and leaflets to minimise civilian harm. No other military in history has taken such precautions.
Moreover, the Genocide Convention requires intent to destroy a people in whole or in part. Israel’s stated and demonstrated intent is to dismantle Hamas, not eliminate Palestinians. Equating counter-terror operations with genocide not only distorts international law but trivialises actual genocides.
5. Recognition of “Palestine”: Ignoring International Law
Wilson urges New Zealand to recognise a Palestinian state, noting that over 140 countries already have. But recognition is not a popularity contest — it is grounded in international law. The Montevideo Convention (1933) sets four criteria: permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states.
- The Palestinians have no unified government: Gaza is ruled by Hamas, Judea and Samaria (the so-called “West Bank”) by the Palestinian Authority.
- They have no defined borders: the Oslo Accords established that these must be negotiated with Israel.
- They have repeatedly rejected statehood offers (1947, 2000, 2008).
Premature recognition rewards rejectionism and terrorism. Far from advancing peace, it entrenches the conflict.
6. Selective Outrage and Silence on Hamas
What is perhaps most disturbing is Wilson’s complete silence on Hamas’s role. There is no mention of:
- The October 7 massacre, in which Hamas slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, raped women, burned families alive, and abducted over 200 hostages.
- The more than 20,000 rockets fired at Israeli civilians since.
- The fact that Hamas openly declares its aim is not Palestinian statehood alongside Israel, but Israel’s eradication.
To erase Hamas from the story is not journalism. It is propaganda.
Conclusion: What “Growing a Spine” Really Means
Simon Wilson accuses Parliament of lacking a spine. But moral courage is not defined by yielding to street protests, loud activists, or unthinking journalists; nor is courage exemplified by parroting Hamas statistics or joining mobs hating g against the Jewish nation. Courage is defined by standing on truth, law, and principle — even when it is unpopular.
New Zealand should not join a rush to premature recognition of a Palestinian state, nor lend legitimacy to Hamas’s propaganda war. Instead, it should support genuine negotiations, condemn terrorism unequivocally, and demand accountability from all actors.
That the Herald editors chose to publish Simon Wilson’s article reflects a wider collapse of journalistic standards, where emotive storytelling has replaced fact-checking, and where a terrorist group’s press releases are treated as gospel.
If anything, New Zealand’s Government should indeed “grow a spine” — not to echo Hamas, but to resist the manipulation of those who seek Israel’s destruction.
