What just happened with Israel?

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, September 16th, 2020 - 40 comments
Categories: Donald Trump, israel, Palestine, uncategorized - Tags:

Just two months before election day, Donald Trump appears to have won a diplomatic coup in the Middle East.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have normalised relations with the state of Israel.

But this latest Arab-Israeli entente is neither a bolt from the blue nor the result of months of delicate shuttle diplomacy by the Trump administration.

Israel and the gulf Arab states began establishing tentative links after the Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993. They opened trade missions in each other’s capitals, although several were closed after a surge of Israeli Palestinian violence in the second Intifada, which erupted in 2000.

The chance for progress came, paradoxically, because of Arab alarm over Trump’s effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord. The Trump plan was heavily tilted toward Israel, essentially giving Netanyahu a green light to annex territory in the occupied West Bank.

For the gulf Arabs, annexation would be a fatal blow to closer ties with Israel. Under the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative, Israel would win full recognition from the Arab world only by resolving its conflict with the Palestinians and granting their aspiration for statehood.

It fell to a well-connected diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, Yousaef al-Otaiba, to lay out the choice for Israel. In a column on the front page of a Hebrew-language newspaper, Yediyoth Ahronoth, in June, al-Otaiba as Ambassador to Washington, told the israelis they could have annexation or normalisation – but not both. The Ambassador approached Jared Kushner with the same message. It was received.

The Emiratis had other reasons for moving now. It helped seal their purchase of sophisticated American weapons: F-35 fighter jets, Reaper drones and EA-18G Growler jets. Analysts say Bahrain’s move could help that country secure air defense systems from the United States. Interestingly, Qatar has ruled normalisation out for now.

By playing the “normalisation’ card so late in Trump’s term, the UAE and Bahrain are betting Trump will win again, Trump remains Israel’s de facto Ambassador, and Israel can be trusted to keep its word and not keep annexing by stealth anyway. Let’s see how that works out.

These normalisation deals will on one hand prop up Arab authoritarianism and restore the pre-Arab Spring role of the U.S. as a protector of Arab regimes appeasing Israel. But it will also allow Israeli commerce to do business direct with Arab states, which is desperately needed in a recession.

Whether Trump’s team did the spadework or not, this is an electoral gift which he is playing up on television to the hilt.

40 comments on “What just happened with Israel? ”

  1. Sabine 1

    pretty much anyone is thinking that trump 'will win again' one way or another.

    as for this deal? Who knows, more weapons for people who don't need them, more misery for the people that are under permanent curfew and occupation, and i don't think any one really gives a fuck.

  2. Barfly 2

    "Israel can be trusted to keep its word and not keep annexing by stealth anyway."

    Yeah ….nah

    • Andre 2.1

      Bottom line is Israel may stop annexations when the entire West Bank and Golan Heights are internationally recognised as undisputed Israel territory. That will progress slower or faster depending on who is in charge in Israel at any moment, there may be even some tiny temporary reversals along the way if Israelis ever manage to elect someone moderately progressive instead of their usual Morlocks.

      But even after the West Bank and Golan Heights are fully absorbed, the more likely outcome is Israel will still find ways to nibble away at its neighbours.

  3. RedLogix 3

    The bottom line here is Iran. Understanding the ME means keeping the Persian Shi'a/Arabic Shi'ite division line in mind. It’s historically far more important than the rather recent squabbles they’ve had with the modern state of Israel.

    While the US has been involved in brokering this extraordinary deal, the motivation to get the players to the table was simple enough. Americans are done managing the world, and the Americans are especially done managing the ME. They’re going home. Troop rotations have outnumbered permanent deployments in-region for years. The Iraqi deployment is quickly approaching zero. The Syrian deployment is no longer more than a rounding error. Only Afghanistan remains as a meaningful deployment, and it’s one that few Americans want to continue. The naval base in Bahrain and operations center in Qatar only continue existing to service the Afghan deployment.

    From the UAE point of view this is an unmitigated disaster. They (and their fellow Gulf states of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar) don’t care what US troops do in the Middle East or how many locals they kill or how many US troops die at the locals’ hands. They simply want the Americans present – both regionally and around the world. So long as the global superpower is active, the Gulf States don’t have to worry about guarding the production, processing, and exporting infrastructure for their oil and natural gas. So long as the Americans are globally engaged and guaranteeing freedom of the seas for all, they know their exports will safely arrive at their customers’ ports.

    Now this is all been taken off the table, and these Gulf states are utterly unable to defend themselves; or more importantly the flow of oil money on which they utterly depend. Along with Saudi, they look to several significant sources of threat.

    Iran for the moment doesn't pose an imminent threat, but it's long term ally Russia remains in the wings, and it's new BFF China has an active strategic program with them. Re-arming Iran with modern weapons would rapidly shift the landscape, and this could be achieved if Xi Xinping simply said yes. This would trigger an existential rearrangement of the strategic pieces on the board overnight.

    The Gulf states and Saudi are not really modern nations, they're medieval dynasties without the GoT theatrics. All of them have internal populations who're deeply oppressed and ripe for disruption.

    And then without the US Navy providing the default security reality, the entire region is wide open to any expeditionary force to sail a few warships into the Gulf under the pretext of 'protecting oil shipments'.

    None of these Arabic states have effective military capacity of their own that's capable of facing down a determined invader, and sitting in the most unstable, historically turbulent region of the world, they're all feeling more than a little vulnerable right now. And this is before we factor in any regional ambitions Turkey might have if they decide expanding northward into the Balkans or Greece is a little too hard for the time being.

    This makes Israel an enticing ally for these Arabic states. Of course there will never be IDF boots on the ground in Mecca, but there is a great deal that the Israeli's can do to assist in terms of intelligence, training, equipment and cyberwar they can do without leaving the office. And before anyone asks, no the Arabic states truly do not care about the Palestinians, never did, never will. What we are seeing here is an opening move in a new post-US global reality; things we took for granted and never imagined possible … will suddenly come to life.

    The next shoe to fall will be some form of arrangement with Saudi.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1

      Re-arming Iran with modern weapons would rapidly shift the landscape, and this could be achieved if Xi Xinping simply said yes.

      I suspect that Iran isn't even asking as they're developing and producing their own modern weapons.

      Just how true either of those articles may be up for debate but, IMO, they'd be close enough.

      And then without the US Navy providing the default security reality, the entire region is wide open to any expeditionary force to sail a few warships into the Gulf under the pretext of 'protecting oil shipments'.

      What we are seeing here is an opening move in a new post-US global reality; things we took for granted and never imagined possible … will suddenly come to life.

      Which is the same reason why I keep saying that we need to build up our own defensive capabilities up to and including developing and producing our own weapons. The world has shown itself to be not as benign as many believe and the US is pulling back its forces as it heads down the same path as Ancient Rome.

      And before anyone asks, no the Arabic states truly do not care about the Palestinians, never did, never will.

      QFT

    • Ad 3.2

      I don't really think the United States is going anywhere from the Arabian Gulf.

      They have pretty big naval and air bases in Bahrain, air bases in Iraq, army, navy and airforce camps in Kuwait, four airports in Oman and two whopper naval ports, whopper-huge air and army bases in Qatar, and still has a town dedicated for US military personnel in Saudi Arabia. Still true they've pretty much got out of Syria and are greatly decreasing in Iraq.

      Further afield there's their bases in Jordan and Israel. They ain't letting those go either.

      If Oman and Jordan and other Arab states come on board with Israel, a pretty strong bulwark against Turkicic and Iranian threat has been formed in the space of a week.

      I don't see anything fast happening with Israel and Saudi Arabia officially, but just getting Saudi Arabia to stay silent on all these Gulf States aligning with Israel is a remarkable step all by itself. Plenty more of those desalination investments to go, as well as intelligence and security deals.

      The US presence in the Middle East survived Obama and trump, and will certainly survive the next guy as well.

  4. Tiger Mountain 4

    The Mid East is jam packed with opportunist authoritarians and theocrats all looking for leverage–who do not give one about Palestinians when it comes down to it. The civilian populations of various states may abstractly care, but practical solidarity is what is needed. Open supply lines for international humanitarian aid to Gaza etc.

    Some New Zealanders that get that Gaza is a modern day ‘Warswaw Ghetto’, endangered their lives to try and get medical supplies in with Kia Ora Gaza. The likes of Roger Fowler, Mike Treen and Marama Davidson should be celebrated more.

    It remains obscene that “anti semitism” is invoked over BDS and anyone that challenges the Israeli Apartheid State and Military.

  5. Tricledrown 5

    This is a weapons sales pact the US will finally be able to sell the US$125 billion of military state of the art fighter jets to the UAE after murdering Khashoggi .

    Trump and fellow signatories distracting from their equally corrupt practices.

    • Wayne 5.1

      UAE didn't murder Khashoggi, as you seem to imply. That is a Saudi issue.

      As for these peace arrangements, what they say is that the Palestinians are no longer the key negotiators about themselves. If these deals set a trend, then it may be the Palestinians will finally negotiate, but history says that the Palestinians never miss a chance to miss a chance.

      If they had negotiated a deal in 1994 (Oslo) or in 2000 (Clinton) they would have got a much better deal than they will ever manage now.

      • swordfish 5.1.1

        but history says that the Palestinians never miss a chance to miss a chance.

        A mindless repetition of the slogan trotted out by Israeli Apologists everywhere.

        Close analysis of the various negotiations suggests the polar opposite.

  6. swordfish 6

    .
    Norman Finkelstein is generally the sharpest (and most well-informed) analyst of the Arab-Israeli conflict … this is my summary of one of his key insights over recent weeks:

    Crucially, UAE recognition shows Arab States can now Cross the Rubicon and recognise Israel with little if any domestic repercussions.

    30, 40, 50 years ago, the Palestinian cause commanded huge moral popular authority in the Arab World … it held profound symbolic power for ordinary people throughout the Middle East to the extent that Arab leaders genuinely feared the consequences for their Regimes if they betrayed the cause.(it arguably cost Sadat his life, for instance).

    Fast forward to today … the Palestinian cause no longer possesses much moral power at all among Arab people … first & foremost because the Palestinan Authority have degenerated into highly corrupt, financially-dependent collaborators with US-Israel, acting as Israel's de-facto Security Force on the West Bank, heavily implicated in punishing the people of Gaza & suppressing solidarity demonstrations elsewhere. They're essentially self-interested US-Israeli puppets who have entirely tainted all their potential moral authority in the wider Arab World.

    Finkelstein also points out that Israel has already carried out a de-facto annexation of the Palestinian Territories. Under International Law, the most significant feature of an Occupation is its temporary staus … after 53 years of often brutal occupation & the slow, systematic ethnic cleansing of ever-larger areas of the West Bank, you'd now have to call this status-quo a clandestine annexation, albeit with the unwanted Palestinian population still resident amongst the massive influx of illegal Israeli Settlers.

    • Dennis Frank 6.1

      My guess is they watched China get away with it. "Hey, the UN defers to realpolitik! That means states can expand via foreign policy plus hegemony! Let's do this!"

    • RedLogix 6.2

      If the Arab world had ever actually cared about the Palestinian people they might have recognised the legality of the state of Israel, accepted the open flow of refugees from those who wanted to leave, in exchange for a solid lump of compensation from the Jewish state.

      But instead political posturing at the huge expense ordinary Palestinians is what happened instead.

      Well now the Americans have finally stopped getting suckered into the swamp and are leaving, all of a sudden these same Arab states are realising that maybe a strong Israel might be their best friend after all. After all they all have roughly the same purposes in mind, containment of Iran and a resurgent, nationalistic Turkey just over the northern horizon.

      The unspoken player in this drama is China, who desperately wants to neutralise India. For this reason China is running a distraction play in the Himalayas, establishing naval bases in the Indian Ocean, and working hard to build an alliance with Iran. This is motivated primarily by the need to ensure the Indian navy is never strong enough to threat the supertankers shipping oil right past the Indian coast, and longer term to ensure Tibet and India do not build sufficient political and military capacity to re-take the Tibetan plateau.

      But right now the urgent question in the ME is just how close does the Iranian regime want to cuddle up to Xi Xinping? They must know the risks, but have few other options right now.

      • joe90 6.2.1

        If the Arab world had ever actually cared about the Palestinian people

        Arab people do care about the Palestinian people. The totalitarian thugs running Arab countries don't, and they've taken a punt that aligning themselves with Israel will ensure their political survival.

        https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/1305178757712482304

        • Tiger Mountain 6.2.1.1

          joe90, for once, draws attention to a pertinent point.

          Respected activists, citizens, and pundits that know that part of the world have said for years that many of “the people” in the Mid East support the Palestinian cause, but remain thwarted by authoritarian and autocratic leaders and systems.

          There were supply line tunnels for christ sakes from Egypt that were closed. Hundreds of UN Resolutions remain unobserved. It is multi faceted geo politics I guess that has prevented resolution so far.

          There are apparently regular weekly demos outside Mr Netanyahu’s house–“the Crime Minister” so the Apartheid state of Israel does have some opposition forces at least.

        • RedLogix 6.2.1.2

          I didn't say there isn't wide and legitimate support for the Palestinian cause, but anyone with half a brain cell understands that Israel isn't going away.

          This means although the Palestinians drew one of history's many short straws, the only valid question now is how to minimise their suffering, particularly in Gaza, and build an alternative future that doesn't involve flushing the Jews back into the sea. This is a problem that some hard headed negotiation and money can solve. And the Jewish state has plenty of both. Recognising the Israeli state is the first and promising step on the path to reconciliation.

          Anything else is just posturing for narrow political effects.

          • Wayne 6.2.1.2.1

            As Red Logix points out, there may be a large percentage popular support for Palestine, but the depth of it has weakened. Not many are prepared to do much to actually support the Palestinians.

            Palestine needs to wake up to this reality and deal on the basis of fact, not sentiment.

            Having been to Israel on a number of occasions, it is clear that Israel is much stronger and more secure than it was a few decades ago. It has less interaction with Palestine than previously and is less threatened by them.

      • Ad 6.2.2

        China certainly has big commercial and infrastructure relationships with Iran, but it spreads its risks concerning Middle Eastern oil much broader than Iran. Where it gets its oil from as of last year:

        1. Saudi Arabia: US$40.1 billion (16.8% of China’s total imported crude oil)
        2. Russia: $36.5 billion (15.3%)
        3. Iraq: $23.7 billion (9.9%)
        4. Angola: $22.7 billion (9.5%)
        5. Brazil: $18.5 billion (7.8%)
        6. Oman: $16.4 billion (6.9%)
        7. Kuwait: $10.8 billion (4.5%)
        8. United Arab Emirates: $7.3 billion (3.1%)
        9. Iran: $7.1 billion (3%)

        China's Saudi relationship is pretty strong after 30 years of diplomatic ties that they celebrated this year. Won't supplant the US-Saudi relationship and has no need to. China is pretty good at walking and chewing gum at the same time in this region.

        • RedLogix 6.2.2.1

          Then again you get $400b deals like this one:

          China, sensing America’s internal political difficulties amidst social justice protests and a poor COVID-19 response, is taking off the gloves: Beijing is said to be in the final stages of approving a $400 billion economic and security deal with Tehran. In addition to massive infrastructure investments, the agreement envisions closer cooperation on defense and intelligence sharing, and is rumored to include discounts for Iranian oil. If finalized, the PRC would gain massive influence in this geopolitically critical region, and simultaneously throw a lifeline to the embattled Mullah Regime.

        • RedLogix 6.2.2.2

          Also India controls the Andaman Islands, right at the entrance of the Malacca Straits, where almost all that oil you list must pass through. And the PLAN at present has no ability to prevent an Indian blockade of their oil supply.

          Just to put this into perspective China imports around 12m barrels a day and the typical supertanker runs to about 1.2m barrels. That's something in the order of 9 tankers that have to arrive into Shanghai every damned day. It's a two week trip from the Gulf, so there is a string of about 130 tankers making the journey all the time, plus the same number making the trip back.

          Disrupting this essential traffic would bring China to it's knees within a month or so. Considering that supertankers have been hijacked by Somalis in speedboats it's a trivial task to run a blockade on them, and the Chinese are very aware of this vulnerability.

  7. Byd0nz 7

    The bottom line is Israel is an illegal state gifted to them by the bullshit of Balfour and Jewish terrorism of the time.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1

      The 'gift' happened under the mandate of the newly arisen UN and was fully against one of its stated purposes of protecting nations.

  8. greywarshark 8

    What a tangled web. Very educational input about this post.

    • Tiger Mountain 8.1

      Yes indeed greywarshark. Until announced otherwise, it seems the US will still be multi billion bankrolling, and supplying arms and hi-tech to Israel.

      In all my years of political involvement the plight of Palestinians is one of the longest running awful situations that remains unresolved.

  9. McFlock 9

    This is also a piece of good news for Bibi, who has his own internal problems in Israel. So he'll lift the accelerator and let the slow genocide coast along for a bit.

  10. Siobhan 10

    It will be interesting to see how things pan out under a Harris administration*. Looking at her history and public statements it certainly doesn't bode well for the Palestinians.

    https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/views-on-israel-of-u-s-presidential-candidates-2020-kamala-harris

    * “A Harris administration, together with Joe Biden as the president of the United States,”…her words.

    https://nypost.com/2020/09/15/kamala-harris-accidentally-touts-plan-under-harris-administration/

  11. Peter 11

    What just happened with Israel? The Greatest President of All Time just created peace forever in the Middle East.

    He might not have said exactly that but that's how it'll go. Next step? peace in the USA!

  12. Austringer 12

    Meet this new deal, is it not the same with the old capitalist exploiters deal, you agree talk and we will call it progress,or should we America call it "A MORE PROTECTIVE DEAL" for our friends.

  13. Stuart Munro 13

    Well I wouldn't read too much into it. The UAE, if it wishes to preserve its independence, cannot be truly in the pocket of any of the major powers in the region. Saudi, a traditional link, will likely remain truculent until their youthful de facto monarch no longer finds cutting up outspoken citizens entertaining – but he cannot readily deny religious access without losing status, so the door does not close entirely on the UAE. The Covid downturn is going to hit all the smaller countries in the region fairly hard – a few points in trade with Israel will soften the blow and decrease the severity of civil unrest.

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    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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