Avian botulism found to be killing ducks in Dunedin and Insurance Council's message after Mangawhai tornado. Video / NZ Herald / Supplied
A hotline for reporting Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand has been labelled “hateful” and “antisemitic”.
Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) national chairman John Minto has launched a campaign for the public to report sightings of Israeli soldiers in New Zealand.
“This is part of holding Israel to account for genocide when our Government is complicit in the most horrendous war crimes of the 21st century - there’s no place in NZ for rest and recreation for perpetrators of genocide,” Minto said in a post online.
He later said in a statement: “We wouldn’t allow Russian soldiers to come here for rest and recreation from the invasion of Ukraine so why would we accept soldiers from the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel?”
Te Amokapua Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow said the commission had received more than 90 complaints about the hotline, and called for the immediate end of its promotion.
“The promotion may not be unlawful, however, the chief commissioner sees it as potentially harmful to Israeli and Jewish people in Aotearoa New Zealand,” Rainbow said.
“Israeli and Jewish people have as much right as everyone else in New Zealand to be safe, secure, and free from harassment ... This sort of action has the risk of a ripple effect which may cause harm in the community.”
Kaihautū Whakawhanaungatanga-ā-Iwi Race Relations Commissioner Melissa Derby said the Royal Commission report into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain called on all people in New Zealand to support social cohesion - “that means not allowing racism, antisemitism, islamophobia and other forms of hateful bigotry to flourish”, she said.
It comes as the world marks Holocaust Memorial Day and the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau - where one million died at the site between 1940 and 1945, including 100,000 non-Jews.
The Palestinian Solidarity Network is promoting a "genocide hotline" to report any sightings of Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand. Photo / Facebook
The New Zealand Jewish Council (NZJC) has called out the hotline, labelling the move “the latest in a series of disturbing antisemitic rhetoric”.
“John Minto and his organisation the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) have crossed a line in calling to hunt down Israeli soldiers and reservists in New Zealand,” said a NZJC spokesperson.
Holocaust Centre New Zealand’s Deb Hart believes the hotline is “racist” and encourages “vigilantism”.
“We’ve seen a 500% increase in reported hate crimes against Jews ... this is not the New Zealand that we all know and love,” she said.
Hart argued the message spreads hate and contributes to growing fear in the Jewish community.
“Jewish children don’t feel safe to go to school, all of our synagogues need guards at the door, this is the reality 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz,” Hart said.
Minto told the Herald the hotline is not aimed at the Israeli population as a whole.
“We’re very careful and clear that this is not about Israelis, it is aimed at Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand so they know they are not welcome here, and they understand that New Zealand society does not support their actions,” he said.
Minto defended the action, claiming it is not hateful, but “bringing home a message to Israeli society so that they understand New Zealand society does not support their actions”.
The New Zealand Jewish Council is calling on the Government to condemn the behaviour.
“This growing threat requires urgent action from Government and security agencies and condemnation from leaders across the political spectrum, to prevent escalation such as we have seen in Australia,” it said in a statement.
The hotline comes after masked arsonists set a synagogue ablaze in Australia, in what was called an antisemitic attack.
