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NZ Herald
7 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Opinion: Palestinian recognition isn't a reward. It's a rescue plan – British High Commissioner Iona Thomas
The devastation in Gaza is undeniable and unrelenting. In the words of Starmer, 'the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups and Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible'. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suspended arms exports to Israel and increased humanitarian aid. Photo / Getty Images This is not to deny the horrific nature of the October 7 attack by Hamas. And the UK is clear that Hamas must never be rewarded. We call on Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, commit to disarmament and accept it will play no part in the Government of Gaza. The UK's support for Israel's right to exist and defend itself is unwavering. But Israel has an obligation to uphold the rights and dignity of Palestinians. There is no contradiction between support for Israel's security and support for Palestinian statehood. Recognition of a Palestinian state, in this context, is not about blame or rewarding one side over another. It's about restoring balance. It's about ensuring that any path forward includes the rights, futures and dignity of both peoples. In practical terms, the UK has taken action to address the current crisis: we have suspended arms exports to Israel, sanctioned Israeli ministers and violent settlers, frozen trade talks and increased humanitarian aid. Now, recognition of Palestine joins that list, as part of a wider strategy, not a moment in isolation. For decades, the international community, including New Zealand, has reiterated its commitment to two states living side by side. UN resolutions, from 242 (1967) to 2334 (2016), are the accumulated conviction of a world that wants peace but sees it slipping further away. Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said plainly that the Israeli Government's outright rejection of a two-state solution is 'morally and strategically wrong'. Shutting down the only path that can deliver both peace and legitimacy, it both harms Palestinians and undermines the long-term interests of Israelis. Recognition alone won't resolve the crisis. But it signals a shift: away from waiting for perfect conditions and toward using diplomacy as an active lever. It puts pressure on all parties, Israel, Hamas and others, to return to the negotiating table. The UK has made clear that no party can hold a veto over our recognition. Both Hamas and the Israeli Government will be judged on whether they meet clear conditions: ceasefire, humanitarian access, a political horizon. It's a firm but balanced approach, one aimed at preserving the viability of the only solution that offers dignity, peace and security, not only today but for a future that is different from the last years. New Zealand and the UK have long supported a rules-based international order. We speak often about justice, peace and multilateralism. We have backed UN resolutions affirming Palestinian self-determination, supported UNRWA, and consistently called for aid access and de-escalation. New Zealand and the UK have consistently supported international law, justice and peace through backing UN resolutions, aid access and multilateral efforts. Photo / RNZ The UK's position now invites others to reflect. As the conflict deepens and the humanitarian crisis worsens, how can countries like ours use our voice, reputation and diplomacy to stop this war from extinguishing the last chance for peace? There are no simple answers. But there is a clear direction: towards action that supports civilian life, international law and the promise of a two-state future. In closing his address to the UN, the Foreign Secretary said: 'The hand of history is on our shoulders.' These words were not poetic hyperbole, but a reminder of responsibility. The two-state solution is not dead yet but finds itself in critical condition. What happens now will decide whether it survives. Recognition won't fix everything. But alongside co-ordinated efforts, aid delivery, a ceasefire, diplomacy and accountability, it can help shift the balance towards justice and survival. This is not about choosing sides. It's about people, hostages still held, children starving and trust eroded on all sides. Diplomacy in these times of instability is when our principles as diplomats are put to the test. The UK is determined to work towards a lasting peace. Staying engaged, clear-eyed and committed to a peaceful outcome may be the most important contribution we can make.
Newsroom
8 hours ago
- Newsroom
Will NZ move with the tide over Gaza?
Nearly two years after the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel and the beginning of Israel's military response in Gaza, response from both inside and outside Israel suggests public opinion may be shifting. 'I think the images of emaciated children, the accounts that we've had from families of what they've been going through in terms of the near-famine that is affecting parts of Gaza, I think has had a very, very strong effect,' says BBC's Middle East regional editor, Sebastian Usher. 'I think it's had a big effect on public opinion in the West, and we talk about the West because it's the West that essentially is seen as closest to Israel.' This has come to a head in the past few weeks, with leaders of France, the UK and Canada announcing they will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The shift also seems to be happening within Israel itself, where media has reported on polls showing upwards of 74 percent of Israelis would favour ending the war in exchange for the return of the hostages. In an open letter this week, some 600 former Israeli security officials asked US President Donald Trump to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war. Meanwhile, overnight Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with his security cabinet to discuss a plan to scale up the military invasion of Gaza. 'What we've been seeing is a sense from people who've had the highest positions in the Israeli military, in Mossad, the security agencies, an ex-prime minister, ex-ministers – people who've been major players in Israel politically as part of the elite of the establishment for decades – coming out and saying that the war should end because there's no point to it anymore, it's not achieving anything anymore,' says Usher. But here in New Zealand, Auckland University law professor Treasa Dunworth says it's a bit harder to pick apart where our Government stands. 'I think it's actually difficult to discern a clear policy and I think for a long time it has tried to stay out of it and not make any comments critical of Israel,' she says. 'In the early statements after the original Hamas attack in October 2023, New Zealand was rightly quick to condemn Hamas' actions, but also called for peace, sent humanitarian aid to the agencies that were then still working and able to work in Gaza. 'From that moment on, New Zealand took very much a 'softly softly' approach, although if you trace through the statements and the voting patterns across the general assembly for New Zealand we did call for peace, we did lament the humanitarian situation.' Last week, New Zealand, along with 27 other countries, issued a humanitarian statement calling for an immediate end to the war, which Dunworth says is the first time we've seen something like this from the 'global north'. This week, Newsroom reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade dispatched close to $8 million in aid to Gaza at the end of June – the first funding for the crisis in six months. The Government didn't announce the aid formally, unlike in the past six rounds of funding to the region. This comes after reports of what the UN is calling 'catastrophic hunger' in Gaza, with a third of the population going days at a time without food. Since May, the UN says more than 1000 people have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid, and according to the Gaza Health Ministry, 63 people starved to death last month alone. In today's episode of The Detail, Usher gives explanation and analysis of the current situation in Gaza, and Dunworth describes the steps that New Zealand could take in response. Dunworth says New Zealand could impose a trade embargo on Israel, change our immigration regulations to mirror the 'fast track' we have for Ukrainians, and look at the way we share intelligence through the Five Eyes system, 'because it is well understood that the United States is sharing intelligence with Israel … and through our involvement with the Five Eyes, all of the intelligence that we gather up from this region is shared automatically with the United States authorities.' While she doesn't think recognising a Palestinian state is, in and of itself, going to make a big difference, she does 'think it's an important symbolic move'. 'Next month the General Assembly is going to meet and the Gaza situation is on its agenda and there is still time for New Zealand to start to engage proactively and ambitiously. 'We could not just arrive in the General Assembly and go along with whatever's happening, but we could proactively shape the contours of that debate.' Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
The Detail: Will NZ move with tide over Gaza?
The United Nations has described hunger in Gaza as "catastrophic", with a third of the population going days at a time without food. Photo: AFP Nearly two years after the Hamas-led 7 October attack on Israel and the beginning of Israel's military response in Gaza, reaction from both inside and outside Israel suggests public opinion may be shifting. "I think the images of emaciated children, the accounts that we've had from families of what they've been going through in terms of the near-famine that is affecting parts of Gaza... I think has had a very, very strong effect," says BBC Middle East regional editor Sebastian Usher. "I think it's had a big effect on public opinion in the West and we talk about the West, because it's the West that essentially is seen as closest to Israel." This has come to a head in the past few weeks, with leaders of France, the UK and Canada announcing they will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The shift also seems to be happening within Israel itself, where media has reported on polls showing more than 74 percent of Israelis would favour ending the war in exchange for the return of the hostages. In an open letter earlier this week, some 600 former Israeli security officials asked US President Donald Trump to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war. Overnight, Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with his security cabinet to discuss a plan to scale up the military invasion of Gaza. "What we've been seeing is a sense from people who've had the highest positions in the Israeli military, in Mossad, the security agencies, an ex-prime minister, ex-ministers - people who've been major players in Israel politically as part of the elite of the establishment for decades - coming out and saying that the war should end, because there's no point to it anymore," says Usher. "It's not achieving anything anymore.". Here in New Zealand, Auckland University law professor Treasa Dunworth says picking apart where our government stands is a bit harder. "I think it's actually difficult to discern a clear policy, and I think, for a long time, it has tried to stay out of it and not make any comments critical of Israel," she said. "In the early statements after the original Hamas attack in October 2023, New Zealand was rightly quick to condemn Hamas' actions, but also called for peace, sent humanitarian aid to the agencies that were then still working and able to work in Gaza. "From that moment on, New Zealand took very much a 'softly softly' approach, although if you trace through the statements and the voting patterns across the general assembly for New Zealand, we did call for peace, we did lament the humanitarian situation." Last week, New Zealand, along with 27 other countries, issued a humanitarian statement calling for an immediate end to the war, which Dunworth said was the first time we'd seen something like this from the 'global north'. This week, Newsroom reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade dispatched close to $8 million in aid to Gaza at the end of June - the first funding for the crisis in six months. The government didn't announce the aid formally, unlike in the past six rounds of funding to the region. This came after reports of what the United Nations was called 'catastrophic hunger' in Gaza, with a third of the population going days at a time without food . Since May, the UN said more than 1000 people had been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid and, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, 63 people starved to death last month alone. In today's episode of The Detail , Usher gives explanation and analysis of the current situation in Gaza, and Dunworth describes the steps New Zealand could take in response. Dunworth said New Zealand could impose a trade embargo on Israel, change our immigration regulations to mirror the 'fast track' we have for Ukrainians and look at the way we share intelligence through the Five Eyes system, "because it is well understood that the United States is sharing intelligence with Israel... and through our involvement with the Five Eyes, all of the intelligence that we gather up from this region is shared automatically with the United States authorities". She said, while she didn't think recognising a Palestinian state would, in itself, going to make a big difference, she does "think it's an important symbolic move". "Next month, the General Assembly is going to meet and the Gaza situation is on its agenda, and there is still time for New Zealand to start to engage proactively and ambitiously. "We could not just arrive in the General Assembly and go along with whatever's happening, but we could proactively shape the contours of that debate." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter .
