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During the speechmaking, Pat Ruka expressed the deeply held feelings of his ancestors towards the people of Israel:<\/p>\n
\u201cOur ancestors have cried for the day that they could meet with the sons of Abraham. \u2018Cause you were the people of hope, the people of light. Welcome to my whare (meeting house). Welcome\u2026 I, like them, have waited for this day\u201d.<\/p>\n
Pat Ruka remembers his forbears\u2019 stories of deep regard for the Jewish people. Many, in the 19th century had embraced Christianity but became disillusioned by the inconsistency and hypocrisy of the P\u0101keh\u0101\u00a0\u00a0(Europeans), who seemed not to take their own beliefs seriously. After much discussion on the Marae, Ruka\u2019s forebears came to the conclusion that although the fruit was bad, the seed remained good seed. They concluded that this was \u201cthe seed of Abraham with promise\u201d.<\/p>\n
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Ruka\u2019s story is by no means unique amongst M\u0101ori. Indeed, the M\u0101ori connection with the Jewish people has deep roots. From the time of early European settlement intermarriage occurred between Jew and M\u0101ori. On a spiritual and historical plane, M\u0101ori in the 19th century identified with the suffering of the Israelites and this provided inspiration for the development of unique M\u0101ori prophetic movements. Some movements, such as Ringat\u016b, see themselves as Jews. Theories circulated about M\u0101ori being one of the \u201cLost Tribes of Israel\u201d and while these were debunked, missionaries to New Zealand were so fascinated by the similarities between M\u0101ori and Jew that they drew up lists of shared characteristics. Jewish place names like Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Judea sprang up around the country.<\/p>\n
In the twentieth century, the involvement of the M\u0101ori in World War I and II created strong affinities with the land of Israel and its people. The revival and restoration of the Hebrew language provided inspiration for Te Reo (M\u0101ori language) advocates and the Israeli ulpan system of full immersion inspired the establishment of Kohanga Reo language nests.\u00a0\u00a0The M\u0101ori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, showed her affection for Israel by participating in the Jerusalem 3000 celebrations in the Waikato in 1995 and this support has been continued with King Te Arikinui T\u016bheitia.<\/p>\n
One of the most well known sayings in Maoridom is:<\/p>\n
He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n What is the most important thing in the world, it is the people, the people, the people.<\/em><\/p>\n Much of the ceremonial aspect of Maori culture has to do with establishing relationships. The formalities that take place in a meeting such as the Aotearoa\/Israel Powhiri establishes whether the visitor comes in peace or hostility. The speechmaking process establishes who you are and how you relate to each other. The exchange of gifts indicates reciprocity of friendship. The formal greeting of the Hongi (pressing noses) is a sharing together of the breath of life. The eating together signifies that the friendship is complete, we are all one (He iwi kotahi tatou).<\/p>\n While the relationship of New Zealand Jews to the M\u0101ori people has a long history, the Aotearoa\/Israel Powhiri is the first official M\u0101ori ceremony to establish this particular kind of link with Israel. It is a friendship that many M\u0101ori have longed for and is likely to be enduring.<\/p>\n