Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Israel’s drone attack on the Freedom Flotilla boat ‘Conscience’ shows Israel’s genocide strategy has now gone global, according to PSNA.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says the attack in international waters is a thoroughly predictable war crime, committed by an out-of-control Israel, intent on violence anywhere to uphold its starvation strategy for Gaza.
The ‘Conscience’ was loaded with life-saving humanitarian aid for Gaza and was attacked and disabled off the coast of Malta.
“It’s another war crime to add to Israel’s blood-soaked reputation” says PSNA Co-National Chair John Minto. “This is a cowardly attack on the best of humanity trying to get aid to more than two million desperate and starving people.”
“Israel has blocked all aid for more than two months in an attempt to starve them to death.”
“This brazen attack in international waters shows how emboldened Israel has become by the silence of Western governments such as New Zealand.”
Minto is pointing to the UN Panel of Inquiry in 2011 on a similar Israeli attack on the Turkish aid vessel the Mavi Marmara the year before. It was chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minster Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
Palmer found that Israel used ‘excessive and unreasonable force’ in boarding the vessel and killing ten people on board.
“But Palmer also said that Israel had conducted a ‘legitimate security measure’. I wonder how Geoffrey Palmer feels about legitimising that action now,” Minto says.
“Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa is calling on the New Zealand government to condemn the aggression on what is an unarmed, civilian vessel in international waters.”
“When Ansar Allah (Houthis) in Yemen did this to Israeli vessels to try to stop the genocide in Gaza, New Zealand involved itself by sending military support to western countries to bomb Yemen.”
“We are not calling on the government to send military support for the bombing of Israel. However, if New Zealand really believes in the freedom of passage of unarmed vessels in international waters, it must condemn Israeli outright for this cowardly attack on the ‘Conscience’.”
Minto says to maintain any credibility the government is also overdue and obligated to end its months long silence over other Israeli actions.
“Top of the list is Israel’s war crime use of starvation in Gaza as a weapon of war. But the government must also condemn the Israeli army ethnic cleansing and assisting settler attacks in Occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.”
“Israel is building new illegal settlements there at an unprecedented rate.”
“Israel has also just conducted unprovoked major military assaults on Syria. Our Foreign Minister must surely know about these things, and we are at a loss to know why he says and does nothing.”
John Minto
Co-National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
