FREEDOMS NZ ASKS "IS NATIONAL JUST LABOUR IN DRAG?"

Brian Tamaki, Co-Leader of Freedoms NZ speaks up, “As we learn of babies being decapitated by Hamas, as Hamas calls for mass mobilisation of the Arab and Muslim world this Friday in support of Palestinians, and as the world stares down the barrel of a possible World War III in Israel, we can not run the risk as a nation of allowing politicians or parties into positions of power in our Parliament who may be sympathisers with Palestine or Hamas. Many of our politicians are cunning enough this week to stay quiet on such matters, until after the election, but we need to haul them and their opinions out into the open before the majority of Kiwis vote. Kiwis deserve to know where politicians clearly stand when it comes to Israel. They are either for or against Israel. There is no grey area when innocent babies are being massacred.”

Three days out from our General Election, with Israel and Palestine now at war, can we risk being drawn into a bloodbath as New Zealanders if we vote the wrong people into power? Based on polling it's apparent that the only way Labour and the Greens will get back into Government is if Winston Peters goes into coalition with them. But what exactly is at stake with an Israeli-Palestinian war begun in the background? Hamas has been condemned worldwide for its atrocious unprovoked attack on innocent lives over the weekend, opening fire on young people at a music festival, shooting people in their homes, firing rockets into civilian territory. But not all sectors of society are condemning the attacks. Disturbingly, large crowds in American and European cities, London, even as close as Australia have risen up in support of Hamas and the terrorism it has carried out, seeing it as a defining act in Palestine's liberation fight. Even our own Sonny Bill Williams has waded into the debate throwing his support behind Hamas. Hamas is labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the U.K. and others. A resolution to label Hamas a terrorist group failed to pass in the U.N. in 2018. Hamas rejects Israel's right to exist and is dedicated instead to the creation of a Palestinian country in the region. The group has both sociopolitical and military functions and receives crucial support and weapons from Iran. You might throw your hands on the air and say so what, what does that have to do with the NZ elections? In a recent poll, only 27% of people believed Winston Peters when he said he wouldn't go into coalition with Labour (and by default the Green Party). After all, history shows us Winston has done this before. In light of what has just happened in the Middle East, who would a Labour-Green-NZ First Govt support now that war has been declared in Israel? Chris Hipkins has been clear to condemn the Hamas attacks because of their nature, not because of where they have come from. New Zealand is one of 55 countries in the 193-state United Nations that does not recognise Palestine as a state. However, the Labour government in the past couple of weeks said it would consider meeting with the Palestinian ambassador to assess his credentials - a first step in the process towards diplomatic relations. Hipkins said the increase in hostilities would not affect those plans. He told Radio New Zealand: "No, not necessarily. But Hamas is recognised by New Zealand as a terrorist organisation and the plan to invite the Palestinian ambassador to present their credentials was not going to change that." The Green Party's Golriz Ghahraman, an Iranian refugee, has a history of fighting on behalf of Palestine inside of our own Parliament. In December 2020, Ghahraman joined fellow Green MP Teanau Tuiono and Labour MP Ibrahim Omer in pledging to form a new parliamentary Palestine friendship group to "raise the voices of Palestinian peoples in the New Zealand Parliament" during an event organised by the Wellington Palestine advocacy group to mark "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinians." In May 2021, Ghahraman sponsored a motion calling for Members of Parliament to recognise the right of Palestinians to self-determination and statehood. Ghahraman also defended fellow Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March's tweet that said: "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" And in May 2019, Ghahraman shockingly referred to Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus Christ as Palestinian refugees,which drew criticism from the NZ Jewish Council. Giving Winston Peters even the chance to create a Labour-Greens-NZ First coalition will lead NZ down a path to destruction none of us could even comprehend. The only political leader to openly throw their support behind Israel has been Brian Tamaki. Our traditional allies have done the same. Will you run the risk of supporting a party who has the potential to do the opposite?