Netanyahu accuses New Zealand of committing a declaration of war

Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, December 28th, 2016 - 126 comments
Categories: International, war, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , ,

Holy strained rhetoric batman.  Looks like Israel wants to get the dukes up and pick a fight with New Zealand over its decision to take a very principled stand and tell Israel that its homeland creating policies breached international law.

From Stuff:

 

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu personally phoned Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully to warn him a UN resolution New Zealand co-sponsored was a “declaration of war,” according to a report.

The UN Security Council resolution called for Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

It was picked up and sponsored by New Zealand and three other countries after US President-Elect Donald Trump reportedly pressured Egypt into dropping it.

It was passed on Saturday after the US abstained instead of vetoing, as they historically have done on votes concerning Israel.

In the aftermath, Israel has withdrawn its ambassador to New Zealand, barred New Zealand’s ambassador to Israel, and warned of further sanctions. Netanyahu has publicly called it a “shameful anti-Israel resolution”.

Israeli publication Haaretz, citing unnamed western diplomats, reported that a “harsh” phone call took place between the Israeli Prime Minister and McCully on the day of the vote.

“This is a scandalous decision. I’m asking that you not support it and not promote it,” Netanyahu reportedly told McCully.

“If you continue to promote this resolution from our point of view it will be a declaration of war. It will rupture the relations and there will be consequences.”

Really?  Trying to get Israel to stop breaching International Law by siding with the vast majority of nations and using the UN designated processes is a declaration of war?

Netanyahu needs to get real.  Such rhetoric only makes him look more extreme and out of touch with reality.  Maybe he is channelling his inner Trump after all it appears to work for the Donald.  Or maybe he is trying to divert attention from the fraud and bribery investigations he is facing.

126 comments on “Netanyahu accuses New Zealand of committing a declaration of war ”

  1. Draco T Bastard 1

    The UN Security Council resolution called for Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

    The building of settlements on Palestinian land is, of course, an actual act of war. The settlers are an invasion force and are thus not civilians.

  2. Sanctuary 2

    Someone ought to point out to the Israelis that if they pick a fight with us our army won’t consist of 12 year olds armed with stones. Apart from that, who gives a Shit about their threats.

  3. Rosemary McDonald 3

    Does anyone else think that perhaps Netanyahu has completely lost the plot?

    None of this makes any sense at all. Defiantly ignoring a rising tide of condemnation is one thing, but this UN resolution had the potential to provide a face saving ‘out’ on the illegal settlements (when so many within Israel also condemn the settlements)…but this reaction is real bridge burning stuff.

    I have a really bad feeling about this.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1

      Does anyone else think that perhaps Netanyahu has completely lost the plot?

      He’s always been a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

      • Johan 3.1.1

        Ever since Netanyahu lost his brother Yoni in the Entebbe operation (Uganda), he has never been the same.

        • exkiwiforces 3.1.1.1

          Yes Johan, Bibi hasn’t been the same since Operation Thunderbolt where his brother Yoni was killed in action. I ran into a old friend back in day when both of us were in the army cadets and he is now serving officer IDF while I was NZ attending the laying up of the NZ Scots colours in April. We ending up talking about the West Bank problem among other things (Bear in mind my friend is right wing Jewish) and he made few comments I’ll like to share.

          1. He said weather this is true or not as he is not sure (I’m not sure either, but it sounds great). When the Six Day war ended the 3 Senior IDF Officers (Yitzhak Rabin,Moshe Dayan and one other were overheard saying we now know why Jordan went to war with us because the Palestine problem is no longer theirs, but is now our problem to sort out and one of them replied do our Politicians now and into the future understand this!!

          2. He said there are a lot of Officers (He is one of them) and OR’s within the IDF who think the west bank should handed back to them and both Jerusalem and Hebron should UN mandated cities. The only chance of that happen died with Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon and Moshe Dayan. But this will never happen now as Bibi is out for revenge for the death of brother Yoni and Bibi has made no secret about either over the years. Also the extreme right wing parties that make up the government won’t allow it as they think we are the rightful owners of the West Bank.

          3. The West Bank requires a Political solution not a military one and he said ever since Op Thunderbolt our Politicians seem think we the IDF/ Mossad can solve any Political problem by other means. In other words Op Thunderbolt was IDF Rhodesian moment where Politicians judgement and reality becomes clouded by their own beliefs.

          Anyway have a read of this book called.

          Op Thunderbolt “The most Audacious Hostage Rescue mission in History”
          By Saul David.

          My opinion is my mate right on this one and I think Bibi is a couple of long necks sort of crate

          Cheers for now

    • GregJ 3.2

      I’d say primarily he’s appealing to his right-wing allies in the Knesset. Also what is being said publicly is not necessarily a reflection of what is going on behind the scenes diplomatically…and it appears in this post-truth world being as outrageous as possible may not be as damaging as we formerly thought.

      Additionally he knows he probably has a pretty staunch American ally coming on board. He’s creating room for himself to move and for Trump as well. He can “allow” Trump to talk him down while securing all sorts of other advantages. That will help Trump’s boni fides vis a vis the Palestine/Israel situation (if he actually cares about having them of course).

      • Bill2 3.2.1

        True.

        Behind the scenes, diplomatically, Israel works with New Zealand, Fiji – even Indonesia -to attack perceive leftists including young New Zealanders all over the world.

        The NZSIS and the GCSB know are are complicit and in some cases are clearly happy to see what were at least once good people die.

        [we have a regular commenter here called Bill, to avoid confusion can you please pick another name? thanks – weka]

  4. pdm 4

    This may just be the dumbest of several dumb things that McCully has done. If English is on the job as soon as the holidays are over McCully could/should be `gone by lunchtime’.

    • mickysavage 4.1

      Why? Apart from Israel pretty well the whole world has approved of the resolution.

    • GregJ 4.2

      I can’t imagine McCully acted independently on this.

      • mickysavage 4.2.1

        Until this week I have never said a positive thing about McCully. He grew remarkably in my estimation because this decision was brave and principled.

        Maybe it is that pollies get to the end of their career and then decide that they should follow their heart rather than play games. Maybe we should have more pollies that follow their heart from the start of their career.

    • Lloyd 4.3

      Actually I think it is the first decent thing McCully has done.

  5. Shazzadude 5

    All fair minded Kiwis should be praising the heck out of Murray McCully for what he has done, regardless of your feelings towards the Nats. Well done McCully, thank you for standing up for Kiwi values against the Israeli terrorist government.

    • McGrath 5.1

      Israel proving once again that it’s part of the problem and not the solution.

    • Cinny 5.2

      Agree, still don’t like the man or the party, but I am very grateful for this event. Kudos Muzza, probably the first and last time I will ever say that. Thanks for doing what is right rather than what is easy.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.3

      M’kay.

      I find the “Obama told Key to get it done and McCully is a tool” narrative far more compelling:

      Obama does the right thing, Key has never been anything other than an employee, and McCully takes the heat.

  6. Steadfast 6

    A few salient points

    1st: There is no Palestinian State, and never has been. If you disagree please let me know who ruled the area.
    2nd : This is Israel land, that was stolen from them.
    3rd: Satan is aligned with the Middle East to obliterate Israel ( he will not succeed )
    4th: Every conflict has been started by Arabs against Israel.

    Read your bible

    • Carolyn_nth 6.1

      I wouldn’t could the Bible on its own as an infallible historical document.

      The original occupants of the land in question, were Canaanites – later arrivals, the Israelites, set out to exterminate them, and did so, according to the Bible.

      Many Canaanites inter-bred with Muslims who were also later arrivals. There was lots of comings and goings with quite a bit of influence from Egypt, Syria etc.

      • GregJ 6.1.1

        Many Canaanites inter-bred with Muslims who were also later arrivals

        I think you mean Arabs. 1st mentioned in Assyrian sources in the 9th Century BC. Islam didn’t occur until some 1200-1300 years later in AD 622.

        Canaanites is really an ethnic catch-all term to describe various peoples (both settled and nomadic) who lived in the area identified by the Egyptians as Canaan. The Hebrew word seems to have Egyptian origins and it’s use in Hebrew really seems to equate to a pejorative term that is similar to the Greek word “barbaros” (“barbarian” or “other” or “outsider”). One theory on the origins of the Hebrews is that they themselves were effectively “Caananites” who migrated or were settled into Egypt and then moved/invaded/conquered into Palestine. (Another possibility is that the Hebrews may have been an offshoot of the Hyksos who may have originated in Asia Minor).

        • Carolyn_nth 6.1.1.1

          Thanks, Gregj.

          I was thinking of the later period in the 7th century, when Muslims inter-married with the mongrel Canaanites. So, basically, it’s now not easy to tell the origins of the Canaanites.

          But they probably inter-married with Arabs at an earlier period, too.

          • GregJ 6.1.1.1.1

            As someone living in the area the question of “Who is an Arab?” or “What does it mean to be an Arab?” is a fascinating and, of course, very complicated one!

    • mickysavage 6.2

      1. So there are no Palestinian people either or villages or communities?
      2. This goes both ways. If the international community exempts this land because it was taken off someone else at some time then most of the surface of the planet will be exempt from International Law.
      3. I am sure Satan, if there is one, approves of Netanyahu’s behaviour.
      4. Clearly this is one conflict that Israel intends to finish.

      Read the UN Charter and the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war.

    • MikeG 6.3

      Steadfast – have a read of Leviticus 19:33-34 and get back to me. The Israelis live in an old testament world, but only want the laws that favor them to be recognized.

      • adam 6.3.1

        Well said MikeG.

      • Carolyn_nth 6.3.2

        Had to look it up online:

        NIV

        Leviticus 19:33-34New International Version (NIV)

        33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

        New American Standard Bible

        33: When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34: The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.…

    • b waghorn 6.4

      ”3rd: Satan is aligned with the Middle East to obliterate Israel ( he will not succeed )”

      holy fuck !!!!

      • adam 6.4.1

        Because you can’t make it up.

        And you wonder who many Christains like myself look at the tribalism Christians with sympathy, and then have a desire to massively improve the education system.

        Just so you know b waghorn for many fundamentalist churches, or New Christian Tribalism as I affectionately call it – this is core belief stuff, 101.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.5

      1. After the Bar-Kochba revolt of 132-136 CE, however, the Emperor Hadrian was so enraged by Jewish resistance that he re-named the province Syria Palaestina (after the two traditional enemies of the Jews, the Syrians and the Philistines) and banished all Jews from the region, building his city Aelia Capitolinia on the ruins of Jerusalem.

      With the rise of the Eastern Empire under Constantine the Great, Palestine became a Christian province and remained so from 330-640 CE when the land fell to invading Muslim forces. Yeah, I’d say a couple of thousand years as a designated province is long enough to become a state.
      2. They got it through conquest and then lost it through conquest. Conquest is no longer a viable means of getting territory though as it’s simply no longer allowed in international law.
      3. Hahahahahaha
      4. Nope. the Jews were the original invaders.

      The Bible can go fuck itself and so can those that listen to its evil.

      • GregJ 6.5.1

        You should note that Hadrian banished the Jews from the area around Aelia Capitolina (i.e. Jerusalem) not from the whole of Syria Palaestina. It appears to be a common misconception that the Diaspora meant all Jews left/were expelled but that is not the case.

        Significant Jewish communities remained after the Bar Kokhba revolt including in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and cities such as Acre, Caesarea, Jaffa, Ashkelon and Gaza. By the time of the Sassanid Persian siege of Jerusalem in AD 622, when 20,000 Jews rose up to support the Persians on a promise of a return to Jerusalem (and possibly a self-governing Jewish state under Persia) the estimates are there were anywhere between 60,000-120,000 Jews in the area. Some have even suggested it could be as high as 300,000 (although I think that is unlikely).

        • red-blooded 6.5.1.1

          So, there were significant Jewish communities after the Arabs became the dominant people in Palestine? I wonder if they were confined to tiny areas enclosed with cages and regularly attacked? Did their confined area continually shrink over time as people of the dominant ethnicity/faith invaded and built their own settlements..?

          Of course there were still some Jews in Palestine. That doesn’t meant that they (or the UN of the time) had the right to confiscate the land and declare a new state. Jewish people had been through a dreadful, horrific, experience, but that experience was caused by Europeans, not Arabs, and stealing someone else’s country was a dreadful, horrific attempt to make amends.

          • GregJ 6.5.1.1.1

            I was pointing out that the quote in DTB’s original comment could be interpreted as the Jews were expelled from all of Palestine following the Bar Kochba revolt which is not the case.

            And yes there continued to be significant Jewish settlement though-out the rule of Palestine by the Roman/Byzantines, various Arab dynasties, the Crusaders, and the Ottoman Turks. Jews were permitted by the Caliphs to return to Jerusalem. Generally their religious buildings and practices were respected and like other non-Muslims (Christians, Zorastrians) they paid Jizya (or jizyah). As with other dhimmi (non-Muslims) they were regarded as 2nd-class citizens but protected as “People of the Book”. Persecution did still occur and there were restrictions placed on them and of course they were subject to the whims of the political and religious winds however it is also fair to say the Jews were generally treated much better by various Muslim rulers than Christian rulers.

    • garibaldi 6.6

      Steadfast ,you say ‘Read your bible’. Answer-No .I tried that once. It is your bible. Your people wrote it ,and that is it’s biggest failing.

    • ann johns 6.7

      1st: There was a whole country called Palestine in all the maps before 1947, don’t know who ruled and don’t care either.
      2nd: I’m pretty sure it was the Balfour Declaration that gave that land to the israelis, not god, and it was NEVER stolen from the israelis.
      3rd: I think you’ll find Satan at the Knesset, in the shape of a devil named Nuttyahoo
      4th: When a fully armed military shoot kids with or without knives, because their land is being stolen, then I would say it is the interlopers with their weapons who started it. As for the firecrackers being lobbed by Hamas, the Iron Dome takes care of it all.
      5th: NO, I will not read the bible, read it already and wasn’t impressed.
      6th: Anybody who still believes in a god after seeing the state of this world is delusional and should be on drugs – what, you are already? I would never have guessed.

    • Rae 6.8

      Yeah well I want England back from the Normans

      • In Vino 6.8.1

        The French want Normandy back from those bloody Normans. (They were Norse/Vikings, you know…) When will anyone ever receive proper justice?

    • simonm 6.9

      @Steadfast
      -Thanks so much for taking time out from molesting the kids in whatever nutjob sect you represent to share your opinion with us. We really value your input.

      • Cinny 6.9.1

        Oh dang was wondering if it was one in the same, sure was an interesting choice of ‘name’ for this thread.

    • GregJ 6.10

      1st: There is no Palestinian State, and never has been. If you disagree please let me know who ruled the area.

      No but there has been a long history of Arab peoples that have lived there (There was a Ghassanid Arab state in the Palestine/Levant area in the 3rd Century) and those people want a Palestinian State now. At various times those peoples have wanted to be part of an Arab state which is why the Palestinian Arabs (Muslim and Christian) joined the Great Arab Revolt in 1916 at the encouragement of the Allies (specifically the British).

      • Carolyn_nth 6.10.1

        The matter of a Palestinian state is a bit of a red herring, I’da thought. There never was a Māori state before the arrival of Europeans. They still were recognised by the British government as having rights to their land.

        In Aussie, the whole Mabo decision, giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people the right to make land claims, rests on the notion in Brit law, that they could not just take land if it were occupied by “civilised people”: The Mabo decision ruled there already were people there with some form of social organisation and with their own forms of law.

    • Cinny 6.11

      Steadfast… Satan is not a good enough scape goat for me.

      Besides whom knows who started what, people only know what has been documented, and am sure history goes back much further than any text or story book that one might read.

      I’ve read the bible, so what? It’s not a book to live by, it spreads violence, hate and segregates.

      Nature is my religion, please don’t laugh, I can prove it exists 😀

    • North 6.12

      Steadfast is certainly steadfast at supporting IDF slaughter of babies and beatings of pregnant women at checkpoints. How steadfastly human !

      Zionist exceptionalism doesn’t go down here you steadfastly fascist thing.

    • In Vino 6.13

      Steadfast –

      Satan is actually a woman, not a man. You really have got it all wrong.

      (I know – I got involved with her once…)

    • Read your bible

      Why? It appears to have caused serious cognitive impairment in your case.

    • Paul Campbell 6.15

      You do know the bible’s largely made up right? make believe stuff by desert nomads trying to explain their place in the world

      The Palestinians are simply the cousins of those who left on the Jewish Diaspora 1500-2500 years ago. They’re the ones that stayed behind, some of them remained Jewish, some became Christians/Muslims/Romans whoever invaded, often simply to survive.

      They’re called “Palestinian” because they were living in Palestine, a part of the world that was controlled by the Ottoman Empire (ie Turkey) up until WW1 – the British conquered the area from the Turks and ruled the area as a Mandate from the League of Nations afterwards.

      That British Mandate of Palestine is essentially the modern day borders cl;aimewd by Israel:
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_Palestine

      The people who were living there then are what we now call the “Palestinians”. They lived side by side with their Jewish neighbours they were all “Palestinians” then.

      During this time a lot of zionists illegally moved to Palestine, they were escaping Naziism they probably had great reasons for going anywhere but Europe, but they were moving to a land that already had people living in it.

      During and after WW2 they openly revolted against the British (who, even though they were sort of stuck in the middle, were after all an occupying power), they were bombing people while my Dad was there as part of the NZEF.

      In ’48 the zionists took over, Palestinians were forced out of their ancestral homes and became refugees on the West Bank, Jordan and Gaza.

      Pretending that your bible somehow grants the people who lived in Palestine for 2000 years fewer rights to their homes and their lands than those it grants to recent interlopers seems strange to me – they’re all the same people, descendants of the same people who wrote your bible in the first place – I think you’re just caught up in some mystical bullshit that has no relation to real history

    • Anno1701 6.16

      “Read your bible”

      I have

      bit dull really…..

    • Tricledrown 6.17

      Yeah right.
      Fundamentalist Jews, refugee’s from Europe started the unrest in Palestine.
      Jews and Arabs got along in Peace for 1400 years.

    • Tricledrown 6.18

      Religion fairy stories followed by cultists
      That cause wars.
      Steadfast dogmatic blind followers of fashionable faiths.
      Should be made to watch the scene in the life of Brian that takes the piss out of religious warmonger’s.

    • Daveosaurus 6.19

      Your third point invalidates your entire argument. No more need be said.

    • ropata 6.20

      Hey Steadfast, I did read my Bible, apparently a lot more than you did

      http://biblehub.com/luke/10-27.htm
      https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10:25-28

      On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
      “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
      He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
      “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

      This has some deep political implications

      The word for love that both Jesus and the scribe use in today’s text is agapao, quoting the same usage from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible with which Jesus and his contemporaries would have been familiar). On the cross, Jesus acts with this agape love.

      But agape love doesn’t always have to mean death. At its heart, what it really means, is simply putting the ‘other’ first. This is countercultural today because it breaks just about every rule for running a good political campaign.

  7. One Two 7

    maybe he is channeling his inner Trump…”

    Let it go Mickysavage…let it go

  8. adam 8

    War dance song number 1.

  9. Carolyn_nth 9

    I suspect Netanhayu’s statement about a declaration of war was meant for Israeli people – a kind of face-saving posturing. However, there’s no telling what Israeli non-government hotheads will take the statement to heart.

  10. adam 10

    War Dance song number 2.

  11. Anne 11

    Ooops a daisy… Netanyahu isn’t sure he’s gonna wage war on us after-all. Decided to have a little think about it:

    http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/87981623/israel-warned-new-zealand-that-un-resolution-was-declaration-of-war–report

  12. Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 12

    That’s all very well, but the US didn’t use its veto, as it has consistently done in the past.
    Netanyahu had apparently annoyed Obama over something or other.

    Before we start turning out the national guard (do we have one), and issuing stones to the natives, reflect that New Zealand most probably got permission from the US to co-sponsor the resolution.

    A principled stand by Murray Mc it most definitely was not!

    • North 12.1

      But Tony Veitch (not etc) – ” It was, it was ! it was entirely ‘principaled’ ! ”

      Strolling away I can’t imagine Obama not actually despising the likes of Netanyahu.

      Just gut feeling. Nothing more.

  13. mary-a 13

    Typical response from Israel. Retaliate with threats.

    Netanyahu “… there will be consequences …” Such as?

    This should be headlines in every msm outlet in NZ!

    • Morrissey 13.1

      This gives New Zealanders a momentary glimpse into what more vulnerable people, like those trying to survive in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, face constantly.

    • Anne 13.2

      This should be headlines in every msm outlet in NZ!

      It’s not of course. However TV1 deigned to mention it in passing halfway through their 6pm bulletin by which time many people have become bored and turned off.

      A spokesperson for Netanyahu claimed he never said what he is reported to have said, and that it was a ridiculous story. Murray McCully refused to comment which suggests to me he did say it. If it had been a false story then McCully would have said so- surely.

    • North 13.3

      I wonder…….when did New Zealand last suffer whatever it is that Apartheid Netanyahu is on about ? Was it back in 1930s Europe times ?

      • Karen 14.1.1

        I liked Moana’s succinct response too:

        Moana Maniapoto ‏@moanatribe 23h23 hours ago
        @FoxMarama @JJPalethorpe @tabletmag @Ellipsister
        Blatant attempt to co-opt Māori against Palestine. Gross

    • Anne 14.2

      My god, they will go to extraordinary lengths to justify their grossly arrogant behaviour by somehow bringing in the “you did it too” meme. As if each and everyone of us, as individuals, are guilty of events which occurred a 150 plus years before any of us were born. What’s more, there are no equivalences on the scale conducted by the Zionists in the state of Israel.

      • Lloyd 14.2.1

        I think the stance of New Zealand is/must be, we recognise your stupid error , Israel, because we have done something similar in the past and now we are trying to rectify what we can and it is a mess. Listen to us, people of Israel, your descendants will have to pay for your imperialist expansion, just like we are. What is more, the costs we are now paying for our forefathers imperialist expansion are minor compared to what the expansion has done to our society – and I include the damage to both Maori and Pakeha society.
        When uneducated idiots like Don Brash think that treating all New Zealanders equally means that reparation for war crimes don’t have to be paid, our society obviously isn’t completely apart from the dark place that Nettinyahoo’s brain is at.

        • Anne 14.2.1.1

          Fair enough response Lloyd. My beef with the link provided by Gregj was the veiled inference that what our forefathers did was an equivalent deed to that of Israeli governments of recent times and in particular the ‘Nettinyhoo’s’ govt.

          In the sense they hoodwinked the Maoris into ‘giving’ them land and then passed laws enabling them to confiscate more of their land yes… there is an equivalence. But the quantity of the misdeeds by European settlers in NZ compared to the mass killings, bombings and excessively cruel treatment by successive Israeli govts. is well beyond any comparison.

    • mauī 14.3

      They have a point. From what I have seen some Māori live everyday with broken treaty promises and feel it strongly.

  14. Red Hand 15

    Haaretz citing “unnamed western diplomats”. Is that your sole evidence ?

  15. One Anonymous Bloke 16

    War with the Centre-Right racists in Israel? Yay! It’s about time killing fascist scum was legal again.

    As a Green voter, I know I’m supposed to be a pacifist. I just can’t help noticing how Germany flourished after we helped them take out the trash.

    • In Vino 16.1

      Germany and Japan flourished under the Marshall plan only because USA was worried about the USSR’s power, and wanted to isolate communism from capitalism with economically strong fortresses – West Germany and Japan.
      Take out the trash?

  16. lurcher1948 17

    As a Green voter, I know I’m supposed to be a pacifist. I just can’t help noticing how Germany flourished after we helped them take out the trash.(extermination)a pathetic post

    One reason why i haven’t vote labour since before the racist green communists and other nutters ruined the opposition party.

    • GregJ 17.1

      🙄

      You can find all sort of formatting tips for commenting on The Standard here.

      You can have fun with Blockquote, highlighting, italics, strike-through plus smiley faces. It will make your replies visibly appealing to read (the content is another matter though).

    • One Anonymous Bloke 17.2

      I suppose in using the euphemism “trash” for the Gestapo, SS, and other true believers, I’m guilty of labelling and stereotyping them.

      I’m not sorry we helped rid Germany of their influence though. I hope we can help Israel achieve a similar result regarding their obscene centre-right warmongers without further bloodshed.

      Edit: I ruined the Labour Party. It was me 😆

    • North 17.3

      God I’m concerned about that Lurcher fulla…….really ! It’s bloody mumbo jumbo.

  17. Cinny 18

    Too funny, hey BiBi, you know NZ is a long way away yes? We don’t want to fight with you fool, we simply do not want any more fighting and are sick of your land grabbing using religious manipulation, and all the violence and death that’s gone with it, it’s just utter crap.

    Hey BiBi are you gonna wage a war on the Presbyterian church too, you know they boycotted and divested the likes of HP and other Israeli products two years ago, crikey you better step it up BiBi if you want to take action on that matter, lmfao.
    Quick BiBi send in the troops to sort them out. Just wondering is their book different from your one, or do you both have the same imaginary friend?

    Get off your power trip you propaganda spinner, you are looking like a real clown.

    Ahhh nothing like a vent. Elliot does it best…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwDrc2YIRQo

    Re Presbyterian Church divestment in HP, Motorola and Caterpillar in 2014 in reaction to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Kudos to them
    https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/21/us/presbyterians-debating-israeli-occupation-vote-to-divest-holdings.html?_r=0

  18. Jenny 19

    Bigger countries than Israel came off second best up against New Zealand.

    Nuclear armed powers America and France, and Apartheid South Africa come to mind.

    Kia Ora Gaza

  19. D'Esterre 20

    Tony Veitch: “Netanyahu had apparently annoyed Obama over something or other.”
    In this household, our take on it is that this is a last-gasp, spiteful stunt by Obama to leave Trump a nasty little diplomatic mess to clean up, given Trump’s stated support for Israel.
    Besides, Obama’s never forgiven Netanyahu for openly supporting Romney in the 2012 presidential race.

    • Gabby 20.1

      Nuttyahoo’s a bit of an auld racist, so that can’t help.

    • North 20.2

      “In this household…….” hahaha. Dinner time must be absolutely marvellous at your place D’Esterre. All clutchy-pearly about the nasty and the spitey what ? My goodness. The affront of a spot of stone throwing at tanks’d tip the table up I daresay. Get real with your Zionist exceptionalism fantasies D’Esterre.

  20. Gabby 21

    Well, don’t be too surprised if we turn out to have a ‘muslim extremist’ problem.

  21. Brigid 22

    Well we know Israel can’t retaliate, their missiles only reach Palestine.
    Bwhaaahaaahaaa

  22. A lot of strange things happened in the 60’s…. and we’ve all been there before…

    Relevance ?

    Absolutely nothing.

    • Anne 23.1

      Wow. Thanks WK. I remember bopping to that song. Thought I was the bee’s knees too.

      When you look back to the 60s they were actually pretty awful songs – apart from the Beatles of course.

  23. Jenny Kirk 27

    thanks for putting up these videos – but – is Jimmy Carter’s request to Obama to recognise Palestinia not real, and just another bit of propaganda – or is it genuine ?

    • reason 27.1

      Thank-you Jenny …. I believe Carter is totally genuine but his words will be ignored by those who are not sincere in wanting peace….

      My estimation of Carter went up enormously after this interview ….. I think the world would be a different place if he had won a second term …… The videos only three minutes long and at the end fills in a little bit of history on Israel that most would be unaware of …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6Rt1a1xII8

  24. Janie 28

    As a Scottish person living in New Zealand, I couldn’t be more PROUD of this amazing country and her people.
    Taking a stand against the apartheid riddled, Israeli regime & their brutalization of an unarmed people who’ve no army to defend themselves, is sending a clear message.
    Palestine has suffered for sixty eight years, lets not allow Netanayhu’s insane policies last one more month…
    Well done New Zealand, I’m so chuffed to be in such a caring, humanitarian society.

  25. North 29

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11774448

    Bruce Logan in the Herald promotes the dangerous fantasy of Israeli Zionist exceptionalism. The customary foul snivelling that commands that ‘nothing, no-one else, matters’.

  26. Rosemary McDonald 30

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11774260

    “Hagai El-Ad: Council stand a crystal-clear rejection of divisive policy…

    Thank you New Zealand.”

    Commentary on the UN resolution from the Israeli group, B’Tselem… http://www.btselem.org/

    Shalom.

  27. Jenny 31

    What a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive…

    Call for Israel to fund Maori resistance?

    Colonialism, Settlers, land confiscation, missionaries, Ratana, Zionism, Christian Zionism, terrorism, British Imperialism, American Imperialism, German Imperialism, anti-semitism, Islamaphobia, racism. Institutionalised racism. War on Terror. Illegal surveilance.

    Where to begin?

    Where to start?

    In 2007 New Zealanders woke up to the news of massive armed police raids around the country, footage aired on nation wide TV showed live action of a heavily armed black clad and masked anti-terror unit breaking down a door of a house in Grey Lynn Auckland. And reports of similar raids around the country Papakura, Tauranga,
    Wellington, Christchurch, of people being dragged from their homes at gun point and made to stand or lie on their lawns in front of their neighbors in their bed clothes.

    In the Urewera town of Ruatoki an armed police roadblock was set up on the historic land confiscation line outside the town, and even a bus load of children was boarded at gun point by heavily armed black clad police that the children later described as “Ninjas”.

    The massive armed police raids were unprecedented in New Zealand history. Dozens of people both Maori and Pakeha were detained and 16 people were held in custody on remand. It was also determined that a large number of people had been the victims of an illegal surveilance and wire tapping operation for over a year by the SIS and GCSB trying to trawl for incriminating evidence to use against the accused.

    The allegations were that Maori activist Tama Iti and his supporters around the country were planning to violently overthrow the government.

    The anti-terrorism raids in New Zealand were world news. Some Left and Centre Left activists were rung by concerned friends and contacts from overseas and asked if it was true?

    Of course it wasn't.

    In the end, only four people were charged with possession of unlicenced firearms, a crime that in rural New Zealand is about as unremarkable as speeding or drunk driving, and rarely (if ever) results in a prison sentence.

    So what was behind it all?

    At the time New Zealand security forces and police were signed up members of George Bush's "International War on Terror". Leaked expense receipts showed that the then Police Commissioner Howard Broad, had spent a good part of the previous year being wined and dined in Washington DC by Bush administration officials.

    New Zealand had to seen to be "doing its bit".

    An example had to be made.

    Consequently the four people charged, Tame Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, (both Maori), and Urs Signer and his partner, Emily Bailey, (both Pakeha) were found gulty of relatively minor firearms offences. In line with New Zealand policing tradition only the two Maori men convicted were sent to prison.

    With the news that a right wing Zionist group based in New York is openly calling on the Israeli government to fund Maori opposed to the New Zealand state.
    This must be a very confusing time for the New Zealand security services who have traditionally spent most of their efforts investigating the Left for such offences.

    http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/221092/new-zealands-settler-problem

    “Indigenous peoples whose histories and attachments to their own land are not unlike our own might well benefit from the technology, organizational capacity and experience of the Jewish State, which may serve as a model for their own future moments of national liberation.”

    The Zionist model and and capacity and expereince involved violent expulsion and bombings and assassinations. The King David Hotel bombing though the most well known in the West is one of their lesser atrocities which may serve asa model for moments of national liberaton.

    So would some Maori be open to be funded by Zionists to organise against the New Zealand state?

    Tai Harawira, (Hone Harawira’s brother), already receives money from extremist American Christian Zionists to run the “Ezekiel 33” mission based in Henderson. Which preaches a viciously Islamaphobic message among Maori and is a staunch defender of Zionism. Harawira often calls for the mass expulsion of the Palestinians from Greater Israel, including the West Bank and for the demolition of the Dome Of The Rock Mosque in Jerusalem.

    Are there other ways that Zionists could infiltrate and influence Maori Groups?

    Certainly.

    During the large rally in support of striking wharfies in Auckland in 2012 I was approached by a number of Palestinian human rights activists asking about the number of Israeli flags being carried on the protest. I had to explain that they weren’t Zionists but wharfie members of the Ratana movement. The Ratana religion is a varient of Christianity that took missionary teachings about the persecution of the Jews as explanation of the persecution of Maori by the British Empire. Some Ratatana believe that Maori are one of the lost tribes of Israel.

    All this must put the sworn defenders of the New Zealand State like the SIS in a bit of a quandary, because of their close links to US imperialism through 5 eyes and other such arrangements. America of course being Israel’s biggest ally and funder.

  28. Jenny 32

    testing

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.