Will's Word: Is New Zealand on the wrong side of history in Gaza?

Most of you will have seen by now the utter devastation unfolding in Gaza. The images are everywhere of babies dying of starvation, children begging for food, and parents clutching their dead.

The pictures coming out of Gaza put simply are horrific and barbaric. Israel continues to reject claims that it's targeting civilians simply seeking food, but aid agencies argue the evidence is overwhelming.

Aid convoys have allegedly been targeted, bread queues have reportedly turned into blood baths. So you have to ask, is the New Zealand government doing enough to condemn Israel for its actions?

Some countries are stepping up their response: France has announced it will seek to recognise Palestine as its own state at the UN later this year, while Ireland has already done so.

Even United States President Donald Trump is showing signs of impatience. So what about us? We're a nation that prides itself on standing up for what's right. We stood up to apartheid, rejected nuclear power, gave women the right to vote before anyone else in the world.

Perhaps one does ask, why does it feel like we're sitting on the sidelines? As each day passes another child dies. So arguably we should be using every diplomatic and political tool available to condemn the mass suffering in Gaza.

That means calling Israel out. That means advocating for a two-state solution, some experts would say. With real rights and protections for Palestinians because again, aid agencies are warning: we're watching a slow, avoidable genocide unfolding before our very eyes.

Any decent human being should recognise just how wrong all of this is.

That's Will's Word.

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