Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA
PSNA has congratulated Auckland City Councillors who voted this morning to investigate supporting sanctions against Israel for war crimes.
The Auckland Council Policy, Planning and Development Committee has just voted 14 to 2 to request a staff report by July on sanctioning companies on the UN’s Human Rights Council who are complicit with Israel’s illegal occupation and settlement of the Palestinian Territory.
“Israel has been stealing Palestinian land and moving Israeli settlers onto the land in defiance of international law”, says PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal.
“The local Palestinian community and our supporters sincerely thank the Auckland councillors who today have voted for steps to refuse to procure goods or services from any of the companies involved in building and maintaining these settlements.”
“Auckland ratepayers deserve to know their rates are not being used to support Israeli war crimes, as designated by the UN General Assembly, Security Council, international conventions and the International Court of Justice.
Councillor Julie Fairey moved the resolution and rejected the arguments of councillors who opposed it, on the grounds that the Council should ‘stick to its knitting’, by stating decisions should be made so that ‘the needles and the wool do not have blood on them.
Councillor Maurice Williamson voted against the resolution. But as a cabinet minister of the Key/English government at the time, he stated he had supported New Zealand co-sponsorship of the UN Security Resolution 2334 in 2016, calling Israeli settlements ‘a flagrant breach of international law’.
Williamson then went on to attack the UN Human Rights Council, falsely claiming it is chaired by Iran, when in fact the UNHRC’s President is from Indonesia.
Nazzal says, “Already six different local bodies have taken this step – it’s good to see Auckland following along the same path.”
Environment Canterbury (March 2024)
Christchurch City Council (October 2024)
Nelson City Council (December 2024)
Wellington City Council (August 2025)
Environment Southland (September 2025)
Palmerston North City Council (September 2025)
The United Nations Human Rights Commission has produced a list of 156 companies involved in illegal settlement activities; the database is here in a pdf: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session60/advance-version/a-hrc-60-19-aev.pdf
Maher Nazzal
