logo
Government's Jewish Muslim ‘Harmony Initiative' Helps Israeli Campaign To Redefine Palestine Conflict

Government's Jewish Muslim ‘Harmony Initiative' Helps Israeli Campaign To Redefine Palestine Conflict

Scoop6 days ago
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says a just-signed government-produced 'Harmony Initiative' will help in Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's recently announced 'Eighth War Front'.
This is an Israeli government propaganda campaign to present Israel's brutal assault on Palestinians as a response to global antisemitism.
Netanyahu has likened Israel's worldwide 'information war' to its physical attacks on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, neighbouring Arab countries, and Iran.
The Israeli aim is to silence its overseas critics.
Some Jewish and Muslim groups have signed onto the 'Harmony Initiative' which describes its purpose as to foster 'positive relationships' and set up a Muslim-Jewish Council.
The government says it wants to avoid what it calls 'domestic impacts resulting from overseas conflicts'.
But PSNA CO-Chair Maher Nazzal says that is code for the government trying to defuse protest against Israel's genocide in Gaza.
'You can't see any references in this 'Harmony Initiative' to supporting the implementation of international humanitarian law or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for example.'
'Instead, we get the Muslim-Jewish Council having an obligation to 'publicly challenge expressions of hate'.'
'There will be some people sitting on that Council who believe any expressed support of Palestinian rights is hate speech. One of the 'Harmony Initiative' signatories is the Holocaust Foundation. The Holocaust Foundation is funded by the Israeli embassy.'
'If you put various government moves together, there is a clear agenda to stifle criticism of Israel.'
'Amendments to the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 are under secret consultation, but with a clear signal that the recent draconian suppression of free speech on Palestine we have just seen in the UK is very much a model on the list for us too.'
'The Human Rights Commissioner, a self-confessed Israel supporter, wants to appoint an Antisemitism Envoy because they have one in Australia. But the antisemitism test they are using there is a list of examples of criticising Israel.'
Nazzal says he can understand why some community groups in Aotearoa New Zealand have signed on to the 'Harmony Initiative'.
'The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand for instance, quite rightly believe that if they are not on this 'Muslim-Jewish Council' then the government would simply create and appoint another Muslim body to purportedly represent Muslims. That would leave FIANZ with no input.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Two Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide
Two Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide

Otago Daily Times

time3 hours ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Two Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide

Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state, which vehemently denies it. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip". "The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write," said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. "The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights." Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: "Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is both calculated and systematic". Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the Hague that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as "outrageous". Israel has consistently said its actions are justified as self-defence, and Hamas is to blame for harm to civilians, for refusing to release hostages and surrender, and for operating in civilian areas, which the militant group denies. A spokesperson for the Israeli government called the allegation made by the rights groups on Monday "baseless". "There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide ... it simply doesn't make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tons of aid, most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide," said spokesperson David Mencer. Israel's military also rejected the reports' findings as "baseless". It said it abides by international law and takes unprecedented measures to prevent harm to civilians while Hamas uses them as "human shields". Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel has often described that attack, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, as genocidal. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins, and displaced nearly the entire population of more than two million. Accusations of genocide have particular gravity in Israel because of the origins of the concept in the work of Jewish legal scholars in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. Israeli officials have in the past said using the word against Israel was libellous and antisemitic. When Amnesty International said in December that Israel had committed genocidal acts, Israel's foreign ministry called the global rights group a "deplorable and fanatical organisation". The 1948 Genocide Convention, adopted globally after the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group". PALESTINIAN PLIGHT GAINING ATTENTION At a Jerusalem cafe, Carmella, a 48-year-old teacher whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, said she was distressed over the suffering an hour's drive away, inside Gaza. "It feels difficult to me as an Israeli, as a Jew, to watch those images and feel anything but tremendous compassion and horror, to be honest. I feel horror." International attention to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza has intensified in recent weeks, with UN agencies saying the territory is running out of food. Israel, which controls all supplies in to Gaza, says it has let enough food in, and blames the UN for failing to distribute it. Israel shut off all supplies in March for nearly three months, reopening the territory in May but with restrictions it says are needed to prevent aid from ending up in the hands of fighters. Since then, its forces have shot dead hundreds of Gazans trying to reach food distribution sites, according to the United Nations. Israel has announced measures in recent days to increase aid supplies, including pausing fighting in some locations, allowing airlifts of food and safer corridors for aid. Throughout the conflict, Israeli media have tended to focus mainly on the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Footage widely broadcast in other countries of destruction and casualties in Gaza is rarely shown on Israeli TV. That has been changing, with recent images of starving children having a little more impact, said Oren Persico from The Seventh Eye, a group that tracks trends in Israeli media. "It's very slowly evolving," he said. "You see cracks." But he did not expect the genocide allegation would spark a major shift in attitudes: "The Israeli perception is: 'what do you want from us? It's Hamas' fault, if it would only put down its weapons and (release) the hostages this could all be over'." In an editorial in the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Dani Dayan, the chairman of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, said it was not accurate to accuse Israel of committing genocide. "But that does not mean we should not acknowledge the suffering of civilians in Gaza. There are many men, women, and children with no connection to terrorism who are experiencing devastation, displacement, and loss," he wrote. "Their anguish is real, and our moral tradition obligates us not to turn away from it."

UN Chief: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict At 'Breaking Point', Urges Push For Two-State Solution
UN Chief: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict At 'Breaking Point', Urges Push For Two-State Solution

Scoop

time3 hours ago

  • Scoop

UN Chief: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict At 'Breaking Point', Urges Push For Two-State Solution

28 July 2025 Addressing the high-level conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution, Mr. Guterres delivered a stark message about the urgency of action and the cost of delay. ' For decades, Middle East diplomacy has been far more process than peace, ' he said. ' Words, speeches, declarations may not have much meaning to those on the ground. They have seen it before. They have heard it before. Meanwhile, destruction and annexation bulldoze ahead. ' He reiterated that the only just and sustainable path forward is the establishment of two independent, democratic States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital, based on pre-1967 lines and in line with international law and UN resolutions. UN Secretary-General addresses the opening segment of the high-level conference. There is no alternative Mr. Guterres challenged those resisting that vision. 'What is the alternative? A one-State reality where Palestinians are denied equal rights, and forced to live under perpetual occupation and inequality? A one-State reality where Palestinians are expelled from their land?' he asked. 'That is not peace. That is not justice. And that is not acceptable.' Earlier remarks: 'The truth is: we are at a breaking point' Speaking earlier in the day at the conference's pre-opening session, Mr. Guterres warned that the conflict had reached 'a breaking point'. It has endured for generations, 'defying hopes, defying diplomacy, defying countless resolutions, defying international law,' he said. 'But we also know its persistence is not inevitable. It can be resolved. That demands political will and courageous leadership.' He urged Member States to move beyond 'well-meaning rhetoric' and make the conference a turning point 'towards ending the occupation and realising our shared aspiration for a viable two-State solution'. ' It is the sine qua non [Latin for indispensable or absolutely essential] for peace across the wider Middle East, ' he said. About the conference The three-day conference, mandated by the General Assembly through resolutions ES-10/24 and 79/81 and co-organized by France and Saudi Arabia, brings together Member States, observers and regional stakeholders. It features plenary discussions and thematic roundtables on issues ranging from security arrangements and humanitarian response to reconstruction and economic viability. Time is running out In his opening address, the Secretary-General stressed the need for swift action: ' With every passing day, trust is slipping. Institutions are weakened. And hopes are dashed. ' He laid out a clear list of required steps: an immediate end to violence, annexation and settlement activity; rejection of forced displacement; accountability for violations of international law; and a recommitment to a credible political dialogue rooted in the equal rights and dignity of both peoples. Gaza, a cascade of catastrophes Turning to the war in Gaza, Mr. Guterres reiterated his condemnation of Hamas' 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel, but said the response has brought unprecedented destruction. ' Gaza has descended into a cascade of catastrophes, ' he said. 'Tens of thousands dead. Virtually the entire population displaced many times over. The shadow of starvation looming over everyone.' He called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, and unfettered humanitarian access. ' These are not preconditions for peace. They are the foundation of it. ' Resolve, not manage Closing his remarks, the Secretary-General urged all parties to choose peace not as an aspiration, but as a duty. ' This conflict cannot be managed. It must be resolved. We cannot wait for perfect conditions. We must create them. We cannot defer peace efforts until suffering becomes unbearable. We must act before it is too late,' he said. He called for peace not as a concept, but a commitment. ' Not as a dream, but as a reality – for Palestinians, for Israelis, for the people of the Middle East, and for the world. ' Assembly President: 'We cannot go on like this' Also addressing the opening, UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang said the Gaza war and the wider crisis have made it 'painfully clear – we cannot go on like this.' President of the General Assembly addresses the opening segment of the high-level conference. He called for 'decisive change' and warned that further delay would deepen suffering and destroy any remaining hopes for peace. ' This conflict cannot be resolved through permanent war, nor through endless occupation or annexation…We simply cannot afford more excuses, more delays. We must act now. ' He reiterated the Assembly's recent demands, including an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all hostages and full humanitarian access. He also highlighted growing global recognition of Palestinian statehood, citing President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France will extend formal recognition. Concluding, Mr. Yang urged action towards a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ' The focus of this conference must therefore be concrete and action-oriented, identifying steps the international community must take to realise the two-State solution, ' he said. 'One that upholds international law, the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions. And especially one that achieves justice for Palestinians and Israelis. One that ensures a peaceful, prosperous, and equitable future for everyone in the Middle East.'

Israeli leader found a political window to step up humanitarian aid but remains under intense pressure
Israeli leader found a political window to step up humanitarian aid but remains under intense pressure

NZ Herald

time6 hours ago

  • NZ Herald

Israeli leader found a political window to step up humanitarian aid but remains under intense pressure

His far-right coalition members, who have for months called for a total 'siege' of Gaza and eventual Israeli reoccupation of the strip, have vowed to vote down a truce deal to end the fighting. But for now, they have been outmanoeuvred. Itamar Ben Gvir, one of the two far-right politicians excluded from the security cabinet meeting, said in a radio interview that the decision to pause Israeli military fighting during daylight hours and allow land and air deliveries of food parcels into the battered enclave was done 'deliberately' without him and that Netanyahu's people 'told me old wives' tales about them not wanting me to violate the Sabbath'. More than two-thirds of Jewish Israelis said last month they opposed increasing humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to a poll published by the Israel Democracy Institute. The poll was taken before international concerns over hunger in Gaza spiked over the past month. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the easing of aid delivery restrictions into Gaza 'a good strategic move, which we should not detail further'. Smotrich's statement suggested that the policy change could be temporary, with Netanyahu himself saying that a 'tactical pause in fighting' and entry of 'minimal' amounts of aid into Gaza did not contradict ongoing combat to help achieve Israel's two war aims of eliminating Hamas and freeing the 50 remaining hostages, of which 20 are presumed to remain alive. Political analysts said that in shifting Israel's aid policy on Gaza, Netanyahu is continuing his longtime tactic of buying time rather than committing to strategic decisions. Yaki Dayan, former Israeli consul general in Los Angeles, said that even the Trump Administration is getting 'fed up' with the lack of a firm decision. 'Time is running out,' Dayan said. 'You can't stay in this stasis that we're in now, with the international pressure increasing all the time. So the US is saying, either go for a full deal, or go for conquest of Gaza, both options that we will support, but we want to see a decision made.' Netanyahu faces these choices as national elections, scheduled for next year, grow closer. Though he saw a brief spike in popular support following Israel's 12-day war with Iran last month, poll numbers show that he could face difficulties cobbling together another ruling coalition. Much of the right-wing base is outraged over the management of the Gaza war and its failure to deliver on the Prime Minister's promise to eliminate Hamas. At the same time, polls show that most Israelis support a negotiated truce with Hamas that would bring the hostages home, even if this meant Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza and give up the military advantage they have by controlling vast swathes of the enclave. Dissatisfaction with Netanyahu is also growing as the number of Israeli soldiers killed rises. Hamas ambushes and other guerrilla tactics have brought this death toll to 898, the highest in decades. Thousands of reservist soldiers have been called up to serve on Israel's various fronts, for hundreds of days. Many Israelis view the hostages as the top priority and prefer that Israel's leaders use economic, diplomatic, or other levers of influence to oust Hamas 'that do not require troops to be sitting inside Gaza', said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a non-partisan think-tank based in Jerusalem. He said that Netanyahu, who is even facing growing pressure from the Israel Defence Forces to reach a hostage deal, 'is manoeuvring, as the most skilled and seasoned political practitioner in the country', while looking ahead to the elections slated for 2026. 'Netanyahu has three months of political calm, and then we are coming closer to an election,' Plesner said. 'There is a growing realisation that the war the way it's conducted is not moving us forward to either of the war goals.' Netanyahu's governing coalition is already teetering. Earlier this month, two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties quit the coalition because Netanyahu had not enshrined into law the long-standing military exemption afforded their community, stripping his Government of its parliamentary majority. Netanyahu's Government now has only 50 of the 120 Knesset seats, challenging his ability to pass legislation or chart a new wartime strategy. 'Now that the coalition is already on the verge of collapsing, Netanyahu has about three months to do whatever he wants before he has to gather all the coalition partners again and decide whether to dissolve the Knesset and go for early elections or try to survive another year,' said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist from Hebrew University. Either way, she said, he will need to change course of Gaza. 'He has no room left to manoeuvre,' Talshir said. 'He has to finish the war in Gaza.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store