The BFD | A Response to the FIANZ Advisory Dated 2024

OPINION

COMS – Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel

COMS-Israel is a group of 48 Church Ministers in New Zealand who support the right of Israel to protect its homeland. This group has evolved out of the latest conflict in Gaza and more ministers continue to join. We are very concerned with an “Advisory 2024” put out by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), which is not accurate in our view.

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Press Statement Begins:

Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel – COMS-Israel

In Response to the FIANZ Advisory dated 2024

The Federation of Islamic Associations in NZ (FIANZ) have raised important questions for every New Zealander in its request to our government this year in their Advisory dated 2024. However, the Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel (COMS-Israel) is concerned with some of its content. We have responded to just some of the points we disagree with, as a full response would become laboursome for the reader.

“Collective Punishment”

We think it is unfair to charge Israel with performing “collective punishment” on the people in Gaza. Israel is not deliberately disrupting the lives of the people of Gaza but is trying to keep them out of harm’s way by warning them to flee areas of military activity before intended strikes. As Israel pursues the cruellest of terrorist enemies their job is most difficult because of the civilian population being used by Hamas as human shields. How difficult it must be to try and arrest violent offenders who are in a residential area firing rockets and shooting at you. Imagine our police in that dilemma. You would expect them to warn residents to evacuate the area prior to a planned operation. You would want the residents to cooperate even if it meant walking some distance, leaving their homes and workplaces, to keep them from harm’s way.

“Designation of the IDF as a terrorist organisation”

It is disturbing to us that FIANZ would equate the Israel Defence Forces with terror organisations. The IDF responds to terror organisations by eliminating terrorists to save their own citizens. It is highly offensive for this term to be used of a professional army which is trained to uphold both the rule of law as well as international law. Colonel Richard Kemp of the British army who spent time commanding forces in different areas of conflict in the Middle East called the IDF the most moral army in the world, because of the extent it goes to warning civilians to flee from harm¹, something many other armies have not practised. Would we still defend the actions of our police if innocent lives were lost as they did what they could to end a serious threat to public safety and civil order? In Israel’s case is it right to call them terrorists when they are responding to a crisis which they did not expect nor initiate?

“South African position at the International Court of Justice”

The South African case at the ICJ is nothing to be supported. South Africa’s charge of “genocide” against the Jewish State is inaccurate, offensive, biased, and we believe politically motivated. It is not based on truth but on South Africa’s flawed and favoured relationship with the terrorists of Hamas whom they have entertained in their own nation. It is offensive to call Israel guilty of committing genocide when the perpetrators of October 7 more readily reflect that charge. Israel has no option but to bring Hamas to account for its crimes, otherwise Hamas leaders have stated they will repeat October 7 again and again. What else is Israel to do? Hamas has stated it will never recognise the right of the Jewish State to be there, it will not negotiate with Israel, and its end purpose is the elimination of Israel through Jihad.²

“From the River to the Sea”

Hamas has made it abundantly clear that from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea Palestine will be free of a Jewish State. The meaning of this as made known by advocates for Israel is correct and those who claim otherwise are not reflecting the clear intentions of Hamas who came up with the saying in the first place. ³

“NZ Media”

Our news media appears to show bias depending on the subject as the FIANZ illustrates. Advocates for Israel believe the bias goes in the opposite direction that FIANZ states. With that understood we would all want the truth, not just the story to be a renewed focus. Like the message of a ceasefire: Hamas needs to be identified as having the power of choice to save their people and end this current short-term conflict. Deeper articles on the ceasefire idea may well have saved people protesting on the streets had they seen where the power of choice fully sits. Enabling people to grasp all the facts can only help us all as we wrestle with our helplessness in the face of all suffering. Our media can help us to be more able to talk together about very difficult things. The pursuit of the truth is something that can unite us all to avoid labels and demonising any racial group.

The Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel seeks a just, respectful, and safe society for both New Zealand and the Middle East. It stands by the right of the Jewish people to live on land that is theirs historically. It prays for peace and a just solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Coalition of Ministers Supporting Israel calls for the continuation of both the Israeli ambassador and its embassy in Wellington.

It also calls for our leaders to assist in encouraging a negotiated settlement to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, as opposed to any unilateral decisions made at the United Nations.