{"id":2367,"date":"2018-05-19T18:18:21","date_gmt":"2018-05-19T06:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/israelinstitute.nz\/?p=2367"},"modified":"2018-07-01T20:15:11","modified_gmt":"2018-07-01T08:15:11","slug":"nz-called-out-at-un-shocking-and-shameful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/israelinstitute.nz\/2018\/05\/nz-called-out-at-un-shocking-and-shameful\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ called out at UN: ‘Shocking and shameful’"},"content":{"rendered":"
This week New Zealand\u2019s Prime Minister, yet again, pointed an accusing finger at Israel for the “devastating one-sided loss of life<\/a>\u201d in the conflict on the Gaza border. <\/span><\/p>\n Ms Ardern could perhaps be excused for getting it wrong, in speaking so soon after the conflict. However, as the week unfolded it should have become clear to careful observers that the conflict was not a peaceful protest about the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Rather, it was the culmination of an orchestrated six-week campaign by the terrorist organisation, Hamas, timed to culminate with the day they call \u2018Nakba\u2019 or catastrophe. The opening of the embassy was also timed for then, the day Israel became a State.<\/span><\/p>\n Hamas\u2019 goal in the so-called \u201cGreat March of Return\u201d was to infiltrate Israel\u2019s border en masse. Their tactic was to gather large crowds at border locations and to use their fighters as well as groups of civilians to approach and penetrate the fence. This would enable thousands of people to pour into Israel, amongst whom would be terrorists intent on reaching Israeli communities to carry out mass murder and abductions. <\/span>Young women<\/span><\/a> and men were paid to put themselves in the firing line as <\/span>human shields<\/span><\/a> or commit violent acts on the border. Hamas\u2019 practise of using its citizens as <\/span>human shields<\/span><\/a> is well known and has been condemned by the international community. <\/span><\/p>\n The protests over the six week period have seen crowds of over 35,000 congregating at the borders and have included\u00a0<\/span>violents acts<\/span><\/a> such as rolling burning tires towards the fence and using them as smoke screens, throwing Molotov cocktails at troops, launching <\/span>grenades and<\/span> incendiary devices over the fence, firing of guns, <\/span>pipe bombs and improvised explosive devices.<\/span><\/p>\n One only needs to listen to the words of their leaders in Arabic to understand their true intent. Amidst chants of \u2018Death to Israel\u2019 and ‘Allah Akhbar\u2019, Hamas chairman, <\/span>Ismail Haniyeh<\/span><\/a> vows: \u2018We shall never, never, never recognise Israel\u2026 the resistance does not merely refuse to surrender its weapons, but is even developing them\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n Or Senior Hamas Official <\/span>Mahmoud Al-Zahhar<\/span><\/a>, \u201cThis is not peaceful resistance, it is supported by our weapons\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n While Ardern was quick to condemn the \u201cone-sided loss of life\u201d, Hamas has now admitted that at least <\/span>50 of the 62<\/span><\/a> killed were Hamas militants. <\/span><\/p>\n Salah al-Bardawil, a member of Hamas\u2019 political bureau, told a newspaper that in the \u201cmost recent event\u201d [i.e., May 14, 2018] 62 shaheeds were killed, 50 of them belonging to Hamas.<\/span><\/p>\n In light of the evidence now to hand, of the clearly stated intentions of Hamas leadership, will we now hear condemnation of terrorism disguised as a peaceful protest? Is the leader of our nation going to believe the words of the perpetrators of this violence, or is she going to continue to treat all violence with moral equivalence, not differentiating between those perpetrating the violence and those defending their citizens? Will she follow in the footsteps of ex-Foreign Minister McCully who refused to acknowledge <\/span>Palestinian terrorism<\/span><\/a>?<\/span><\/p>\n New Zealand\u2019s moral deficiency was called out at the UN today by Richard Kemp, a former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, who also served with NATO and the United Nations. He tweeted<\/a>, <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNew Zealand Ambassador at UN talks about a one-sided loss of life in Gaza conflict. Presumably she won\u2019t be happy until there are some dead Jews. Shocking and Shameful from a civilised country.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n