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Toronto Sun
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Taliban investigating death threats against United Nations' Afghan female staff, report says
Published Aug 10, 2025 • 3 minute read The UN flag flies on a stormy day at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2022. Photo by Ted Shaffrey / AP ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban are investigating explicit death threats against dozens of Afghan women working for the United Nations, according to a report published Sunday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In its latest update on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, the U.N. mission to the country said that dozens of female national staff were subjected to explicit death threats in May. The threats come against a backdrop of severe restrictions placed on women since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. The U.N. report said the threats came from unidentified individuals related to their work with the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, other agencies, funds, and programs, 'requiring the U.N. to implement interim measures to protect their safety.' It said that the Taliban told the U.N. mission that their personnel were not responsible for the threats. An Interior Ministry investigation is underway, the report added. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Mateen Qani, said no such threats had been made. 'This is completely incorrect,' Qani said. 'The ministry has an independent department for this, and we have a strategic plan for protection and security so there is no threat to them in any area, nor can anyone threaten them, nor is there any threat to them.' Qani did not answer questions about an investigation. The Taliban barred Afghan women from working at domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations in December 2022, extending this ban to the U.N. six months later, and then threatening to shut down agencies and groups still employing women. Some women have nonetheless stayed on in key sectors, such as health care and urgent humanitarian assistance, where aid agencies say the needs are great. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Humanitarian agencies say the Taliban have hampered or interfered with their operations, allegations denied by authorities. The U.N. report is the first official confirmation of death threats against Afghan women working in the sector. The report also highlighted other areas affecting women's personal freedoms and safety. In Herat, inspectors from the Vice and Virtue Ministry began requiring women to wear a chador, a full-body cloak covering the head. Dozens of women deemed 'not in compliance' were barred from entering markets or using public transportation. Several women were detained until relatives brought them a chador, the report said. In Uruzgan, women were arrested for wearing a hijab — a headscarf — rather than a burqa covering the entire body and face. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Women have also been denied access to public areas, in line with laws banning them from such spaces. In Ghor province, police forced several families to leave a recreational area. They warned the families against visiting outdoor picnic sites with women. In Herat, Vice and Virtue inspectors stopped family groups with women and girls from accessing an open recreational area, only allowing all-male groups. Nobody from the Vice and Virtue Ministry was immediately available to comment on the Ghor, Herat and Uruzgan incidents, which the U.N. said happened in May. In Kandahar, the Public Health Department instructed female health care workers to be accompanied to work by male guardians with an identification card proving that they were related to the woman by blood or marriage. It wasn't immediately clear if the card is specific to Kandahar or will be rolled out across Afghanistan. 'The process to apply for a mahram (male guardian) identification card is reportedly cumbersome and can take up to several weeks as it requires the de facto Department for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and a member of the local community (e.g. malik, imam or village elder) to verify the relationship,' the U.N. report said. Columnists Columnists Sunshine Girls Sports Toronto & GTA
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Anthony Albanese marches cautiously towards Palestinian recognition
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been putting it succinctly, declaring it's a question of when, not if, Australia recognises Palestine as a state. It's a line Foreign Minister Penny Wong used more than a year ago. This week Wong was sounding impatient. "The reason for urgency behind recognition is this. There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the world does not act," she said. For the government, recognition is as much about domestic politics as foreign policy. Australia has no influence on what's happening in the Middle East (other than donating aid). But the Australian public is increasingly horrified by the images of the humanitarian crisis. It's a reminder of the power of the visual. More than half a century ago, the pictures coming out of Vietnam helped turn the US public against that war. Right now, however, Australia remains in limbo on its journey towards recognition. The destination might seem clear but the exact arrival date is less so. Observers are expecting it by the time of the United Nations General Assembly in late September. Anthony Albanese will be there, delivering an address during leaders' week. The announcement could be made in the run-up or in that week. France, the United Kingdom and Canada have all flagged recognition, the latter two with varying conditions attached. Asked in late July about whether Australia would announce recognition at the UN, Albanese said Australia would make a decision "at an appropriate time". "We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met," he said. He spelled out a couple of these. "How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?" In any likely scenario, there will be no positive answers to those questions in the foreseeable future. Nor does there seem, so far, much chance the Netanyahu government in Israel will take much notice of more countries recognising Palestine. The only country, if any, it appears likely to be influenced by is the United States, and President Donald Trump's future actions are unpredictable. But, leaving aside the Prime Minister's longstanding personal pro-Palestinian views, Albanese has to be seen to be doing something. Pressure has been long mounting in the Labor base and among the party membership for recognition. The Sydney Harbour Bridge march last weekend, attracting at least some 90,000 people (march organisers estimated many more), reemphasised to Albanese that he needs to be in tune with his base on this issue. An instructive lesson comes from the situation in which NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns finds himself. Minns and the NSW police opposed the march going over the bridge on the grounds it would be too disruptive - they were overridden by a court decision. But ten of Minns' caucus members marched, including environment minister Penny Sharpe. In the federal caucus, Ed Husic, now on the backbench, is out in front on Palestine recognition. But whatever impatience there may be in caucus generally about the government's perceived slowness, it is so far being contained. Still, Albanese won't want to lag behind his colleagues on what is an electorally sensitive issue for Labor in some seats. As the government prepares its timing, Albanese has embarked on a diplomatic round. It was not unexpected that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this week. More surprising was his phone call with the Palestine Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas, who is widely regarded as a discredited figure. READ MORE GRATTAN: According to the official readout from the Prime Minister's Office, Albanese "reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet needs of people of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages". Albanese "also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two state solution because a just and lasting peace depends upon it". Abbas thanked the PM "for Australia's economic and humanitarian support. The leaders discussed deepening cooperation across a range of areas, and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly". If Albanese made the point directly to Abbas that the Palestinian Authority needed to reform itself to have a role in a future Palestinian state, it was not recorded in the readout. But Albanese did tell a news conference on Thursday, "We as well want to see commitments from the Palestinian Authority, commitments of their governance reforms, of reforms in education, reforms across a whole range of issues". Before that conversation, Albanese had sought a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As of Thursday, the call had not yet come. Israeli authorities can be quick to respond to what they see as anti-Israel events in Australia. There was a social media post from the Israeli foreign minister after the bridge march, urging Australians to "wake up". On Thursday, Albanese was asked whether he would talk with Trump before he made the decision about Palestinian recognition. "We're a sovereign government and Australia makes decisions on behalf of the Australian government," he said. Incidentally, while there has been speculation that Albanese will catch up with Trump when he is in the US in September, there don't seem to be any locked-in plans. It's hard to get the President's time in Washington when so many leaders are knocking on the White House door in September. And there is no guarantee the Pesident will be in New York during the leaders' week at the UN, or have an opportunity for a meeting if he is. When the Prime Ninister will catch up with the President continues to be a work in progress. The opposition, which has remained steadfastly signed up to Israel, strongly opposes Palestinian recognition, saying this would be a win for Hamas. But at least some Liberals are readjusting their rhetoric to take more account of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. If, or when, Labor recognises a Palestinian state, the opposition would condemn the decision. But what would it say about whether a Coalition government would reverse the decision? That might be one for the convenient line, "we'd look at that when we were in office". Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been putting it succinctly, declaring it's a question of when, not if, Australia recognises Palestine as a state. It's a line Foreign Minister Penny Wong used more than a year ago. This week Wong was sounding impatient. "The reason for urgency behind recognition is this. There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the world does not act," she said. For the government, recognition is as much about domestic politics as foreign policy. Australia has no influence on what's happening in the Middle East (other than donating aid). But the Australian public is increasingly horrified by the images of the humanitarian crisis. It's a reminder of the power of the visual. More than half a century ago, the pictures coming out of Vietnam helped turn the US public against that war. Right now, however, Australia remains in limbo on its journey towards recognition. The destination might seem clear but the exact arrival date is less so. Observers are expecting it by the time of the United Nations General Assembly in late September. Anthony Albanese will be there, delivering an address during leaders' week. The announcement could be made in the run-up or in that week. France, the United Kingdom and Canada have all flagged recognition, the latter two with varying conditions attached. Asked in late July about whether Australia would announce recognition at the UN, Albanese said Australia would make a decision "at an appropriate time". "We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met," he said. He spelled out a couple of these. "How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?" In any likely scenario, there will be no positive answers to those questions in the foreseeable future. Nor does there seem, so far, much chance the Netanyahu government in Israel will take much notice of more countries recognising Palestine. The only country, if any, it appears likely to be influenced by is the United States, and President Donald Trump's future actions are unpredictable. But, leaving aside the Prime Minister's longstanding personal pro-Palestinian views, Albanese has to be seen to be doing something. Pressure has been long mounting in the Labor base and among the party membership for recognition. The Sydney Harbour Bridge march last weekend, attracting at least some 90,000 people (march organisers estimated many more), reemphasised to Albanese that he needs to be in tune with his base on this issue. An instructive lesson comes from the situation in which NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns finds himself. Minns and the NSW police opposed the march going over the bridge on the grounds it would be too disruptive - they were overridden by a court decision. But ten of Minns' caucus members marched, including environment minister Penny Sharpe. In the federal caucus, Ed Husic, now on the backbench, is out in front on Palestine recognition. But whatever impatience there may be in caucus generally about the government's perceived slowness, it is so far being contained. Still, Albanese won't want to lag behind his colleagues on what is an electorally sensitive issue for Labor in some seats. As the government prepares its timing, Albanese has embarked on a diplomatic round. It was not unexpected that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this week. More surprising was his phone call with the Palestine Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas, who is widely regarded as a discredited figure. READ MORE GRATTAN: According to the official readout from the Prime Minister's Office, Albanese "reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet needs of people of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages". Albanese "also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two state solution because a just and lasting peace depends upon it". Abbas thanked the PM "for Australia's economic and humanitarian support. The leaders discussed deepening cooperation across a range of areas, and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly". If Albanese made the point directly to Abbas that the Palestinian Authority needed to reform itself to have a role in a future Palestinian state, it was not recorded in the readout. But Albanese did tell a news conference on Thursday, "We as well want to see commitments from the Palestinian Authority, commitments of their governance reforms, of reforms in education, reforms across a whole range of issues". Before that conversation, Albanese had sought a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As of Thursday, the call had not yet come. Israeli authorities can be quick to respond to what they see as anti-Israel events in Australia. There was a social media post from the Israeli foreign minister after the bridge march, urging Australians to "wake up". On Thursday, Albanese was asked whether he would talk with Trump before he made the decision about Palestinian recognition. "We're a sovereign government and Australia makes decisions on behalf of the Australian government," he said. Incidentally, while there has been speculation that Albanese will catch up with Trump when he is in the US in September, there don't seem to be any locked-in plans. It's hard to get the President's time in Washington when so many leaders are knocking on the White House door in September. And there is no guarantee the Pesident will be in New York during the leaders' week at the UN, or have an opportunity for a meeting if he is. When the Prime Ninister will catch up with the President continues to be a work in progress. The opposition, which has remained steadfastly signed up to Israel, strongly opposes Palestinian recognition, saying this would be a win for Hamas. But at least some Liberals are readjusting their rhetoric to take more account of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. If, or when, Labor recognises a Palestinian state, the opposition would condemn the decision. But what would it say about whether a Coalition government would reverse the decision? That might be one for the convenient line, "we'd look at that when we were in office". Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been putting it succinctly, declaring it's a question of when, not if, Australia recognises Palestine as a state. It's a line Foreign Minister Penny Wong used more than a year ago. This week Wong was sounding impatient. "The reason for urgency behind recognition is this. There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the world does not act," she said. For the government, recognition is as much about domestic politics as foreign policy. Australia has no influence on what's happening in the Middle East (other than donating aid). But the Australian public is increasingly horrified by the images of the humanitarian crisis. It's a reminder of the power of the visual. More than half a century ago, the pictures coming out of Vietnam helped turn the US public against that war. Right now, however, Australia remains in limbo on its journey towards recognition. The destination might seem clear but the exact arrival date is less so. Observers are expecting it by the time of the United Nations General Assembly in late September. Anthony Albanese will be there, delivering an address during leaders' week. The announcement could be made in the run-up or in that week. France, the United Kingdom and Canada have all flagged recognition, the latter two with varying conditions attached. Asked in late July about whether Australia would announce recognition at the UN, Albanese said Australia would make a decision "at an appropriate time". "We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met," he said. He spelled out a couple of these. "How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?" In any likely scenario, there will be no positive answers to those questions in the foreseeable future. Nor does there seem, so far, much chance the Netanyahu government in Israel will take much notice of more countries recognising Palestine. The only country, if any, it appears likely to be influenced by is the United States, and President Donald Trump's future actions are unpredictable. But, leaving aside the Prime Minister's longstanding personal pro-Palestinian views, Albanese has to be seen to be doing something. Pressure has been long mounting in the Labor base and among the party membership for recognition. The Sydney Harbour Bridge march last weekend, attracting at least some 90,000 people (march organisers estimated many more), reemphasised to Albanese that he needs to be in tune with his base on this issue. An instructive lesson comes from the situation in which NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns finds himself. Minns and the NSW police opposed the march going over the bridge on the grounds it would be too disruptive - they were overridden by a court decision. But ten of Minns' caucus members marched, including environment minister Penny Sharpe. In the federal caucus, Ed Husic, now on the backbench, is out in front on Palestine recognition. But whatever impatience there may be in caucus generally about the government's perceived slowness, it is so far being contained. Still, Albanese won't want to lag behind his colleagues on what is an electorally sensitive issue for Labor in some seats. As the government prepares its timing, Albanese has embarked on a diplomatic round. It was not unexpected that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this week. More surprising was his phone call with the Palestine Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas, who is widely regarded as a discredited figure. READ MORE GRATTAN: According to the official readout from the Prime Minister's Office, Albanese "reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet needs of people of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages". Albanese "also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two state solution because a just and lasting peace depends upon it". Abbas thanked the PM "for Australia's economic and humanitarian support. The leaders discussed deepening cooperation across a range of areas, and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly". If Albanese made the point directly to Abbas that the Palestinian Authority needed to reform itself to have a role in a future Palestinian state, it was not recorded in the readout. But Albanese did tell a news conference on Thursday, "We as well want to see commitments from the Palestinian Authority, commitments of their governance reforms, of reforms in education, reforms across a whole range of issues". Before that conversation, Albanese had sought a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As of Thursday, the call had not yet come. Israeli authorities can be quick to respond to what they see as anti-Israel events in Australia. There was a social media post from the Israeli foreign minister after the bridge march, urging Australians to "wake up". On Thursday, Albanese was asked whether he would talk with Trump before he made the decision about Palestinian recognition. "We're a sovereign government and Australia makes decisions on behalf of the Australian government," he said. Incidentally, while there has been speculation that Albanese will catch up with Trump when he is in the US in September, there don't seem to be any locked-in plans. It's hard to get the President's time in Washington when so many leaders are knocking on the White House door in September. And there is no guarantee the Pesident will be in New York during the leaders' week at the UN, or have an opportunity for a meeting if he is. When the Prime Ninister will catch up with the President continues to be a work in progress. The opposition, which has remained steadfastly signed up to Israel, strongly opposes Palestinian recognition, saying this would be a win for Hamas. But at least some Liberals are readjusting their rhetoric to take more account of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. If, or when, Labor recognises a Palestinian state, the opposition would condemn the decision. But what would it say about whether a Coalition government would reverse the decision? That might be one for the convenient line, "we'd look at that when we were in office". Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been putting it succinctly, declaring it's a question of when, not if, Australia recognises Palestine as a state. It's a line Foreign Minister Penny Wong used more than a year ago. This week Wong was sounding impatient. "The reason for urgency behind recognition is this. There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the world does not act," she said. For the government, recognition is as much about domestic politics as foreign policy. Australia has no influence on what's happening in the Middle East (other than donating aid). But the Australian public is increasingly horrified by the images of the humanitarian crisis. It's a reminder of the power of the visual. More than half a century ago, the pictures coming out of Vietnam helped turn the US public against that war. Right now, however, Australia remains in limbo on its journey towards recognition. The destination might seem clear but the exact arrival date is less so. Observers are expecting it by the time of the United Nations General Assembly in late September. Anthony Albanese will be there, delivering an address during leaders' week. The announcement could be made in the run-up or in that week. France, the United Kingdom and Canada have all flagged recognition, the latter two with varying conditions attached. Asked in late July about whether Australia would announce recognition at the UN, Albanese said Australia would make a decision "at an appropriate time". "We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met," he said. He spelled out a couple of these. "How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?" In any likely scenario, there will be no positive answers to those questions in the foreseeable future. Nor does there seem, so far, much chance the Netanyahu government in Israel will take much notice of more countries recognising Palestine. The only country, if any, it appears likely to be influenced by is the United States, and President Donald Trump's future actions are unpredictable. But, leaving aside the Prime Minister's longstanding personal pro-Palestinian views, Albanese has to be seen to be doing something. Pressure has been long mounting in the Labor base and among the party membership for recognition. The Sydney Harbour Bridge march last weekend, attracting at least some 90,000 people (march organisers estimated many more), reemphasised to Albanese that he needs to be in tune with his base on this issue. An instructive lesson comes from the situation in which NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns finds himself. Minns and the NSW police opposed the march going over the bridge on the grounds it would be too disruptive - they were overridden by a court decision. But ten of Minns' caucus members marched, including environment minister Penny Sharpe. In the federal caucus, Ed Husic, now on the backbench, is out in front on Palestine recognition. But whatever impatience there may be in caucus generally about the government's perceived slowness, it is so far being contained. Still, Albanese won't want to lag behind his colleagues on what is an electorally sensitive issue for Labor in some seats. As the government prepares its timing, Albanese has embarked on a diplomatic round. It was not unexpected that he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron this week. More surprising was his phone call with the Palestine Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas, who is widely regarded as a discredited figure. READ MORE GRATTAN: According to the official readout from the Prime Minister's Office, Albanese "reiterated Australia's call for the immediate entry of aid to meet needs of people of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, and the release of all hostages". Albanese "also reinforced Australia's commitment to a two state solution because a just and lasting peace depends upon it". Abbas thanked the PM "for Australia's economic and humanitarian support. The leaders discussed deepening cooperation across a range of areas, and agreed to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly". If Albanese made the point directly to Abbas that the Palestinian Authority needed to reform itself to have a role in a future Palestinian state, it was not recorded in the readout. But Albanese did tell a news conference on Thursday, "We as well want to see commitments from the Palestinian Authority, commitments of their governance reforms, of reforms in education, reforms across a whole range of issues". Before that conversation, Albanese had sought a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As of Thursday, the call had not yet come. Israeli authorities can be quick to respond to what they see as anti-Israel events in Australia. There was a social media post from the Israeli foreign minister after the bridge march, urging Australians to "wake up". On Thursday, Albanese was asked whether he would talk with Trump before he made the decision about Palestinian recognition. "We're a sovereign government and Australia makes decisions on behalf of the Australian government," he said. Incidentally, while there has been speculation that Albanese will catch up with Trump when he is in the US in September, there don't seem to be any locked-in plans. It's hard to get the President's time in Washington when so many leaders are knocking on the White House door in September. And there is no guarantee the Pesident will be in New York during the leaders' week at the UN, or have an opportunity for a meeting if he is. When the Prime Ninister will catch up with the President continues to be a work in progress. The opposition, which has remained steadfastly signed up to Israel, strongly opposes Palestinian recognition, saying this would be a win for Hamas. But at least some Liberals are readjusting their rhetoric to take more account of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. If, or when, Labor recognises a Palestinian state, the opposition would condemn the decision. But what would it say about whether a Coalition government would reverse the decision? That might be one for the convenient line, "we'd look at that when we were in office".
Newsroom
3 days ago
- Politics
- 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.
3 days ago
- Business
Bill Clinton plans big changes for Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting
Former President Bill Clinton plans big changes for this year's Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting 'by necessity' to address the changing landscape for global development and increasing needs driven by war and climate disasters. 'We need to redefine how we show up, how we work, and how we find ways to honor our common humanity,' Clinton wrote in a letter to the CGI community released Thursday. 'This September, our goal will be to connect dots across issues, expose the consequences, and confront the complicated issues in front of us.' Since its launch in 2005, the CGI annual meeting has served as a platform for political, business and philanthropic leaders to announce new initiatives or new financial support for existing programs addressing the world's problems. At the 2024 meeting, former First Lady Jill Biden announced $500 million in new annual spending for women's health research, while Prince Harry outlined his plans to help children and their parents navigate cyberspace better. This year's meeting — held once again during United Nations General Assembly week and led by Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton — will also include Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, as well as Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O'Day, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready, and Open Society Foundations President Binaifer Nowrojee. However, the focus this year will be on forging new solutions for economic, health, climate and humanitarian issues. 'The CGI community is built for moments like this,' Clinton wrote. 'This year marks two decades of our community convening and responding directly to global crises.' In previous years, CGI helped organize responses to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Caribbean hurricanes in 2017, and the COVID-19 pandemic. CGI estimates it has helped more than 500 million people in 186 countries over the past two decades. President Donald Trump's administration has swiftly dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, arguing that many programs did not advance American interests. A number of philanthropic funders have stepped in to replace some support of humanitarian programs and public health initiatives, but many gaps remain. CGI hopes to close those gaps with a series of 'Leaders Stage Sessions,' where representatives from a wide range of organizations – including GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, Center for Disaster Philanthropy CEO Patricia McIlreavy, AFL-CIO President, and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten -- will work together to create new initiatives. 'Now is the time to stand up and roll up our sleeves — and do our part to reverse the trend lines and begin charting a brighter future,' Clinton said in a statement. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of its Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Organizers declined comment on what impact, if any, the subpoenas would have on planning for the CGI annual meeting. Former Secretary Clinton is expected to provide a deposition on Oct. 9, while former President Clinton's deposition is expected on Oct. 14. ____
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bill Clinton plans big changes for Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting
Former President Bill Clinton plans big changes for this year's Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting 'by necessity' to address the changing landscape for global development and increasing needs driven by war and climate disasters. 'We need to redefine how we show up, how we work, and how we find ways to honor our common humanity,' Clinton wrote in a letter to the CGI community released Thursday. 'This September, our goal will be to connect dots across issues, expose the consequences, and confront the complicated issues in front of us.' Since its launch in 2005, the CGI annual meeting has served as a platform for political, business and philanthropic leaders to announce new initiatives or new financial support for existing programs addressing the world's problems. At the 2024 meeting, former First Lady Jill Biden announced $500 million in new annual spending for women's health research, while Prince Harry outlined his plans to help children and their parents navigate cyberspace better. This year's meeting — held once again during United Nations General Assembly week and led by Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton — will also include Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, as well as Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O'Day, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready, and Open Society Foundations President Binaifer Nowrojee. However, the focus this year will be on forging new solutions for economic, health, climate and humanitarian issues. 'The CGI community is built for moments like this,' Clinton wrote. 'This year marks two decades of our community convening and responding directly to global crises.' In previous years, CGI helped organize responses to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Caribbean hurricanes in 2017, and the COVID-19 pandemic. CGI estimates it has helped more than 500 million people in 186 countries over the past two decades. President Donald Trump's administration has swiftly dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, arguing that many programs did not advance American interests. A number of philanthropic funders have stepped in to replace some support of humanitarian programs and public health initiatives, but many gaps remain. CGI hopes to close those gaps with a series of 'Leaders Stage Sessions,' where representatives from a wide range of organizations – including GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan, Center for Disaster Philanthropy CEO Patricia McIlreavy, AFL-CIO President, and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten -- will work together to create new initiatives. 'Now is the time to stand up and roll up our sleeves — and do our part to reverse the trend lines and begin charting a brighter future,' Clinton said in a statement. On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of its Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Organizers declined comment on what impact, if any, the subpoenas would have on planning for the CGI annual meeting. Former Secretary Clinton is expected to provide a deposition on Oct. 9, while former President Clinton's deposition is expected on Oct. 14. ____
