New Conservative party
Relationships between Israel and New Zealand continue to be damaged by our current government and there continues to be a failure to appropriately support our Jewish community.
Publications like Immigration New Zealand’s State of Palestine Refugee Quota fact sheet of the area, which completely omitted Israel, and Labour members’ support for BDS are prime examples.
New Conservative leader, Leighton Baker, has released a series of commitments that will be a priority to rectifying the relationship between Israel and New Zealand. (See Below)
We call upon this government to urgently rectify the damage that they have caused to our nation’s relationship not only with the State of Israel but to the Jewish community of New Zealand.
Our statement of position has been released because it is unacceptable for any political party to continue to sit quietly by and allow this relationship to further break down.
Since the non-action of New Zealand at the UN General Assembly in December 2018 this government has been criticised for Immigration NZ’s State of Palestine Refugee Quota Fact Sheet and the claims by the Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman, that Mary and Joseph were Palestinian refugees therefore not Jewish.
We commend the Jewish community in Pittsburgh in the USA who donated $1.1million to support the victims of the despicable Christchurch Mosque attack to reciprocate donations made from their Muslim community after a synagogue attack.
Individual communities are prepared to put aside differences and demonstrate respect and unity, so it is reasonable to expect governments do the same, and New Conservative will make this a priority.
New Conservative Statement of Position:
NZ – Israel Relations
New Conservative is committed to:
- Move the New Zealand Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem immediately
- Recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
- Apologise to Israel for New Zealand’s sponsoring of Resolution 2334.
- Strengthen trade ties with Israel. New Conservative recognises Israel’s world-leading advances in technology, and their increasing financial growth and stability as a nation. We would like to see an innovation agreement signed between New Zealand and Israel fast- tracked to allow us both to benefit from technology gains.
- Support a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- Uphold the right for Israel to defend itself against any international threats and protect its borders.
- Encourage and financially assist surrounding countries (Arab nations) to accept and grant full citizenship to refugees. This would greatly reduce any further conflict between the refugees and Israel.
- Condemn any United Nations efforts to continue UNRWA, and look for sensible solutions that will ensure the holistic wellbeing of refugees.
- Immediately cease New Zealand’s funding of UNRWA.
- Harsh penalties for those participating in any anti-Semitic violence and adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism.
- Support the New Zealand-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, and other organisations such as NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc.