Advocacy – Hijacked Solidarity: Bringing the Focus Back to Palestine – PFNZ

The focus shifted from Gaza’s suffering to the drama outside a Wellington house. Soon after, opposition leaders began calling for government intervention to free three New Zealanders kidnapped after joining a flotilla to Gaza, a mission they knew would likely be intercepted! 

Their courage deserves respect, but the political noise that followed reduced a complex issue to domestic point-scoring.

These moments reveal a worrying trend: the spotlight has moved from
Palestinians to politicians. From human rights to headlines. 

From justice to performance. When solidarity becomes about self-promotion or anger, it loses its moral force, and Palestinians, unfortunately, pay the price.

Another issue is how Palestinians are repeatedly portrayed only as victims. Yes, the people of Gaza suffer deeply under Israeli occupation and Hamas’s control, but they are not helpless. They are teachers, doctors, engineers, and artists. They are people of resilience, not just pain. When politicians and activists reduce them to victims, they invite pity instead of partnership. And pity, when politicized, becomes a tool, one that turns genuine solidarity into political drama.

We must say it plainly: solidarity that feeds ego or outrage is not solidarity at all. It is appropriate. Palestine is not a prop, and Gaza is not a stage.

Real solidarity is calm, disciplined, and focused on people, not politics. It does
not rely on vandalism, threats, or drama. It focuses on action that makes a real
difference. If you truly want to stand with Palestine, there are clear, constructive actions that matter:

1. Donate wisely: Support trusted humanitarian agencies that send food,
medicine, and aid directly to Gaza. Every dollar can help rebuild lives.

2. Lobby respectfully: Write to MPs urging support for humanitarian efforts
like backing ceasefire resolutions, expanding emergency visas for displaced families, expanding aid, and upholding international law. Change comes through persistence, not provocation.

3. Sign credible petitions: Add your name to campaigns that demand access for aid workers and accountability for war crimes. Numbers and civility both matter.

4. Protect safety: Never share private addresses or threaten anyone. Violence and harassment only weaken our message and our moral ground.

True solidarity is built on principle, on respect for law, human rights, and life
itself.

Palestinians do not need saviours; they need partners. 

They need global allies who listen, support, and empower them to lead their own struggle. As poet Rafeef Ziadah reminds us, “We teach life, sir.” That line is not about despair; it is about dignity. It tells us that even under siege, Palestinians still create, educate, and love life.

Here in New Zealand, we have an opportunity to show what mature, meaningful solidarity looks like. We can reject the politics of spectacle and rebuild a movement grounded in unity, freedom, peace, cooperation, and truth. We can turn slogans into consistent support, and anger into collaborative action.

Palestine deserves better than to be used as leverage in domestic politics. The

world does, too. Let us make it clear, let’s return the focus to where it belongs,
to the people who live, struggle, teach, and hope under unimaginable pressure, to the Palestinians.

Sam Alfa
Governor
Palestine Forum of New Zealand