NZ's recognition of Palestine sparks debate amid global pressure

The chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says New Zealand’s delay in confirming Palestinian statehood shows Aotearoa’s fear of upsetting the United States.

John Minto says the hesitation goes against New Zealand’s history of standing up for human rights.

His comments follow Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s silence regarding whether New Zealand will officially recognise a Palestinian state.

Australia, the United Kingdom, and most recently France - countries allied with New Zealand - have announced their decisions to recognise Palestine. Earlier this year it was reported that 147 countries, representing 75 per cent of UN members, recognised Palestine as a sovereign nation.

The shift also comes two years after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, leading to an estimated 65,000 casualties, according to Gaza health authorities.

Hamas is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007.

Winston Peters is currently in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Photo/Supplied

In an interview with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Minto says New Zealand should have recognised Palestine decades ago, “and even at this moment, for Western countries to finally come to the party over recognising Palestine, they’re doing it simply as a distraction from sanctions.”.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters is in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is expected to confirm New Zealand’s position on Palestinian statehood during his address on Saturday morning (NZT).

Alongside New Zealand, leaders from Pacific nations such as Fiji, Tonga, and Palau are also participating in the UNGA.

Listen to John Minto's interview below.

Before his departure to New York, Peters defended the government’s cautious approach in an interview with Terite, citing a recent RNZ poll in which 60 per cent of voters were uncertain about recognising Palestine.

“Yes, Gaza is a misery, but look at Yemen, Sudan, Myanmar, millions more affected, yet barely a word,” Peters says.

He adds that Hamas should not be involved in any future settlement. “It’s got to leave, it’s got to be out of there, it cannot be part of the future.”

Some experts say that if New Zealand were to recognise Palestinian statehood, it would align with the position of most allied nations and could boost its credibility with Arab countries.

But the move could also risk straining relations with Israel and potentially with the United States.

Watch Alfred Ngaro's interview below.

Minto found Peters’ comments shocking, saying those who expressed an opinion were two to one in favour of recognising a Palestinian state. “So the minister is way offline.”

Former Cabinet Minister and founder of the Indigenous Coalition for Israel, Alfred Ngaro, warns that New Zealand should refrain from what he views as a premature and dangerous step.

Ngaro tells Terite that recognising Palestinian statehood could undermine Israel’s right to security.

“You can’t put evil on a scale,” he says. “The taking of one innocent life is where evil begins because if you’re going to start to do that, what about the nine million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust?”

The 80th UNGA session ends on Monday, NZ time.