The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says a just-signed government-produced ‘Harmony Initiative’ will help in Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently announced ‘Eighth War Front’.
This is an Israeli government propaganda campaign to present Israel’s brutal assault on Palestinians as a response to global antisemitism.
Netanyahu has likened Israel’s worldwide ‘information war’ to its physical attacks on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, neighbouring Arab countries, and Iran.
The Israeli aim is to silence its overseas critics.
Some Jewish and Muslim groups have signed onto the ‘Harmony Initiative’ which describes its purpose as to foster ‘positive relationships’ and set up a Muslim-Jewish Council.
The government says it wants to avoid what it calls ‘domestic impacts resulting from overseas conflicts’.
But PSNA CO-Chair Maher Nazzal says that is code for the government trying to defuse protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“You can’t see any references in this ‘Harmony Initiative’ to supporting the implementation of international humanitarian law or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for example.”
“Instead, we get the Muslim-Jewish Council having an obligation to ‘publicly challenge expressions of hate’.”
“There will be some people sitting on that Council who believe any expressed support of Palestinian rights is hate speech. One of the ‘Harmony Initiative’ signatories is the Holocaust Foundation. The Holocaust Foundation is funded by the Israeli embassy.”
“If you put various government moves together, there is a clear agenda to stifle criticism of Israel.”
“Amendments to the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 are under secret consultation, but with a clear signal that the recent draconian suppression of free speech on Palestine we have just seen in the UK is very much a model on the list for us too.”
“The Human Rights Commissioner, a self-confessed Israel supporter, wants to appoint an Antisemitism Envoy because they have one in Australia. But the antisemitism test they are using there is a list of examples of criticising Israel.”
Nazzal says he can understand why some community groups in Aotearoa New Zealand have signed on to the ‘Harmony Initiative’.
“The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand for instance, quite rightly believe that if they are not on this ‘Muslim-Jewish Council’ then the government would simply create and appoint another Muslim body to purportedly represent Muslims. That would leave FIANZ with no input.”
Maher Nazzal
Co-chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
