Congratulations to you both on retaining your seats in parliament in yesterday’s election.
It’s clear there will be several weeks before the final makeup of parliament is decided but in the meantime a massive humanitarian crisis has unfolded in Gaza this week which demands New Zealand’s attention and action without delay.
We are urging party leaders to make a joint statement which condemns the commission of war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Convention which includes:
- the killing of civilians
- the use of “collective punishment” against civilians and the withholding of food and water from more than two million Palestinians in Gaza
- the bombing of densely populated civilian areas in Gaza
- the bombing of convoys of Palestinians fleeing to southern Gaza – as requested by the Israeli military.
We urge you both, as the caretaker Prime Minister and Prime Minister elect to join together to condemn all war crimes in the Middle East without fear or favour and to demand the end of the humanitarian crisis for the Palestinian people which is unfolding before our eyes.
In the last few days the death toll of Palestinians children has climbed to 724 and in the last 48 hours Israeli occupation forces have killed seven Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank of Palestine.
New Zealand must speak out now, today. Between you both you have this country’s loudest voices. Please use them to speak up for all New Zealanders today.
Please don’t pass this on to officials for endless consideration. Please act now.
PSNA UPDATE: This morning PSNA sent the letter below to Prime Minister elect Christopher Luxon and caretaker Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Since then the situation has worsened. Over 2,300 Palestinians now killed by Israeli bombs and over 9,000 injured – this is slaughter and not a peep from our elected representatives.
Ngā mihi ki a kōrua.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
