NZ officials to attend UN conference on Israel-Palestinian conflict
Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
Photo:
Samuel Rillstone / RNZ
New Zealand officials will attend a United Nations two-state solution conference in New York next week which the Trump administration is warning could have diplomatic consequences.
The conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, will focus on a possible two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians.
There are reports Donald Trump is discouraging governments from attending, and will view any anti-Israel actions as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests.
Reuters is reporting US President Donald Trump's administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending the conference.
A US cable seen by Reuters
said countries that take "anti-Israel actions" following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington.
The cable said the conference was "counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages" and undermined ceasefire negotiations, Reuters reported.
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said ministry officials would attend the UN meeting.
New Zealand has long supported a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state, but believed an immediate ceasefire and the provision of aid to help alleviate the desperate plight of an innocent civilian population remained the priority.
The government's position continued to be that asserting statehood unilaterally would do nothing to alleviate the current plight of the Palestinian people, and might even impede progress.
The United States this week denounced sanctions by Britain and allies,
including New Zealand
, against Israeli far-right ministers, saying they should focus instead on the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
New Zealand banned two Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that Winston Peters says "actively undermine peace and security".
New Zealand has also
joined 23 other countries
demanding Israel allow a full supply of foreign
aid to Gaza
.
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