MPs Joseph Mooney and Penny Simmonds,

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal, constitutes a breach of CERD article 3 on racial segregation and apartheid, and that Israel must evacuate settlements and pay reparations to Palestinians. It ruled that this has been ongoing for 57 years.

As a UN member state, New Zealand is bound to proactively uphold international law, and in 2022 parliament stood united to pass sanctions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In contrast, after voting in favour of sanctions on Israel’s occupation at the UN in September, no further action has been taken. The Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, modelled on the Russia Sanctions Act and backed by all opposition parties, offers a clear path toward consistency. It requires the support of just six MPs from National, NZ First, or ACT.

For over 12 months In Invercargill and Southland, we have stood every week to demand the government hold Israel to account. We have heard loud and clear the horror and outrage of the constituents you represent, and the conviction that this cannot continue. New Zealand, as a small and peaceful nation, relies on the protection of international law and the rules-based order. To stay silent while it is so openly dismantled, undermines also our own future security and integrity. 

We urge you to honour this bill, honour international law, and honour your constituents. To refuse after 57 years of racial segregation, land theft, and hundreds of documented war crimes is not neutrality, but complicity for personal and political ends.

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