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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
What would New Zealand recognising Palestinian statehood mean?
What exactly is recognising Palestine statehood? Here are the details. "The world needs to focus" on aid for Gaza, Christopher Luxon has said. Photo / RNZ What is New Zealand's stance on Palestine statehood? After Britain's announcement this week that it would recognise Palestine by September unless Israel met certain conditions, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand wouldn't be following its lead 'at this stage'. 'Not at this point,' Luxon told reporters on Wednesday. 'Obviously, I will be talking with [British PM] Sir Keir Starmer around his position, which is a conditional statehood.' In response to questions from RNZ, Luxon said New Zealand had long supported the eventual recognition of Palestinian statehood, but that the immediate focus should be on getting aid into Gaza rather than 'fragmenting and talking about all sorts of other things that are distractions'. 'We need to put the pressure on Israel to get humanitarian assistance unfettered, at scale, at volume, into Gaza,' he said. 'You can talk about a whole bunch of other things, but for right now, the world needs to focus.' In Parliament on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said he stood by a statement that 'it is a matter of when, not if, New Zealand will recognise Palestine statehood'. 'Yes, we steadfastly support the establishment of a Palestinian State and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We have done so for decades.' However, when asked if now was the time to recognise Palestine, Peters said, 'We do need to see progress on some of the fundamental issues relating to a Palestinian state's legitimacy and viability, including representative governance, commitments to non-violence, regional support and security guarantees for Israel. 'If we recognise the state of Palestine, New Zealand wants to know that what we are recognising is a legitimate, representative, viable political entity.' University of Otago professor of politics and international relations Robert Patman said that while the Luxon-led Government did support the two-state solution, 'it seems reluctant to show leadership'. The Government has said New Zealand has limited influence over a conflict on the other side of the world. 'This claim does not sit comfortably with New Zealand Government's purported support for an international rules-based order,' Patman said. 'Distance from a conflict clearly should not determine whether flagrant violations of international law such as in Gaza are tolerated or condemned.' Former Prime Minister Helen Clark also told RNZ's Midday Report on Thursday that New Zealand was 'lagging behind' by not recognising statehood. 'If New Zealand can't act in these circumstances, when can it act?' Dozens of protests over the war in Gaza and Palestine's future have been held in New Zealand. Photo / RNZ Who else is recognising Palestine? There's been a groundswell of recent announcements from Britain, France and Canada this week announcing proposals to recognise Palestine timed around the UN General Assembly next month. In 2024, a group of UN experts called on all United Nations member states to recognise the state of Palestine, in order to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid the Israel-Gaza war. Australia is believed to be about to join that group, with the ABC writing that 'Australia will recognise a Palestinian state, it is only a matter of when and how'. 'My entire political life, I've said I support two states, the right of Israel to exist within secure borders and the right of Palestinians to have their legitimate aspirations for their own state realised,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. 'That's my objective.' Dozens of other countries already recognise Palestine. Some of these recent announcements come with caveats, such as ensuring free and open elections and the disarmament of Hamas. Britain's Starmer said it would recognise Palestine in September 'unless the Israeli Government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza' and other conditions. The UN also held an international conference on the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution in New York from July 28 to 29. Why isn't Palestine recognised as a nation? Palestine exists in a peculiar quasi-state limbo. There are no internationally agreed-upon borders, no globally recognised capital or army. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people dates back centuries. British troops took control of the country from the Ottoman Empire after World War I and ruled it until 1948. The UN proposed partitioning Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, but the plan was rejected. Jewish leaders in Palestine declared an independent state known as Israel when British rule ended. That declaration sparked war with Arab nation neighbours and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians became refugees. After the 1967 'Six-Day War', Israel captured much of the Palestinian territories from other Middle Eastern nations. Israel continues to occupy those territories. In 1988, the state of Palestine was officially declared by the Palestine Liberation Organisation, claiming the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The state of Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012. The two-state solution that has been proposed for years would see an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing alongside Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Government rejects the two-state solution. What does recognising really mean? It's more of a symbolic step than anything, but it acknowledges Palestinian self-determination and allows the establishment of full diplomatic relations. 'The big difference with recognising a Palestinian state (as opposed to expressing a willingness to do so sometime in the future) is that it would significantly reduce the scope for diplomatic ambiguity or sitting on the fence,' Patman said. Juliette McIntyre, senior lecturer in law at the University of South Australia, told the ABC recently that a state has certain defining features under international law. These features include a permanent population, a determinate territory, an 'effective' Government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. 'In some ways, the most important thing is recognition by other states – this enables entering into diplomatic relations, and membership of international organisations,' McIntyre said. The recent announcements by Britain, Canada and others come as coverage of death and famine in Gaza has escalated dramatically. 'Recognising a Palestinian state also conveys an urgent acknowledgment that the current situations in Gaza and the West Bank have been characterised by acts that constitute war crimes and represent an unacceptable failure by the occupying power, Israel, to live up to its legal responsibilities toward the Palestinian population it has under its control,' Patman said. So would it officially become a country? Well, under United Nations rules, it could be. To become a member of the United Nations, Palestine would submit an application to the Secretary-General and accept member obligations. The UN Security Council would vote on the admission, but none of the five permanent members – China, France, Britain, Russia and the United States – can vote against it. If the Security Council recommends admission, it then goes on to the full General Assembly, where a two-thirds majority vote is necessary. South Sudan is the most recent country to join as a member, in 2011. The United States has previously vetoed attempts to grant Palestine membership. What is the US view on Palestine statehood? The US has had long-standing support for a two-state solution, but hasn't gone so far as to support Palestinian statehood. It does recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the representative entity of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian National Authority as the Government of the territories. US President Donald Trump has frequently supported Israel and expressed reservations about recognising Palestine, telling reporters that Starmer's plan would 'reward Hamas'. 'You're rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don't think they should be rewarded.' Trump also threatened a trade deal with Canada over its overtures on Palestine. In a statement this week, the US Department of State called the UN's recent two-state conference a 'publicity stunt' and 'a slap in the face to the victims of October 7', and said France's announcement was 'welcomed by Hamas'. The US could again veto a motion on Palestinian statehood if it comes before the Security Council. Patman said that in his view, 'the National-led Government may be nervous about offending the Trump administration and by taking incremental steps toward recognition may be seeking to minimise that possibility, especially if it believes Trump may be reconsidering his hitherto staunch support for Netanyahu's stance toward Gaza (and West Bank)'. What else has New Zealand done? New Zealand has just signed a joint statement with 14 other countries expressing a willingness to recognise the state of Palestine as a necessary step towards a two-state solution. New Zealand also recently joined 24 countries in calling for an end to the war in Gaza, and criticising what they called the inhumane killing of Palestinians. New Zealand had announced $37.5 million in humanitarian aid for the conflict, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said. It also recently banned some Israeli politicians from travelling to New Zealand. Will these declarations actually make a difference? Realistically, Palestine's statehood and recognition by the UN won't happen overnight. But the declarations are also being seen as an attempt to revive peace talks and end the violence. 'The window for peace through the two-state solution appeared to be locked shut after the collapse of the peace process that started with real hope in the 1990s,' noted the BBC's international editor, Jeremy Bowen. 'Britain's decision to recognise Palestine is a diplomatic crowbar to try to reopen it.' New Zealand is a small player on the global scene, but this week's escalation of major global powers chiming in could make Israel more isolated on the issue. 'After making such declarations, it will be more difficult for the likes of Britain, Germany and Australia to continue to provide military and intelligence assistance to a Netanyahu Government that is using such military force to deny the possibility of a Palestinian state and the outcome of a two-state solution,' Patman said.
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Anger over axing of scholarships
Top students will abandon the University of Otago after a shock decision to axe scholarships, the institution has been warned. Staff and students were informed of the cuts to doctoral scholarships in an email from vice-chancellor Grant Robertson this week. "We are now in a situation where, if we continue to award scholarships using our current approach, what is set to be a tight 2026 scholarship budget ... will likely be required entirely to fund students already studying with us now or who will have started based on 2025 offers," the email says. "A consequence of that situation would be that, to stay within budget, there would be no funding for new scholarship offers in 2026. This is a position I want to avoid. " Mr Robertson's email also referred to the difficult financial environment the university was facing: "Both at Otago and nationally we face tightening research funding and significant strategic shifts in the external landscape". Otago University Students' Association president Liam White said the announcement was "a huge shock, and frankly, disappointing". "It seems like all of this has happened rather quickly, without a ton of notice, and I am concerned for the students that potentially have planned the next three years of their life and now, for whatever reason, aren't able to get a scholarship." An Otago University spokeswoman said the decision was expected to mean a reduction of about 50 doctoral scholarships in the coming months. It still expected to award 140 of the scholarships this year. OUSA postgraduate representative Josh Stewart said he was absolutely livid at the university's "short-sighted decision making" and the lack of communication. "I really feel for all the students who consistently have to deal with the university system, where the ballpark keeps changing, and they don't get any say in the matter." Many students he had spoken to about the changes were now considering studying elsewhere, he said. "Otago is always having to compete with doctoral scholarships overseas ... If they, however, stay at Otago, one would think that a degree of loyalty will be rewarded, but now the rules have changed again." Green MP Francisco Hernandez had also seen the email. He said the announcement was the natural result of the government's Budget decision to cut overall tertiary funding by $162 million. "We are already experiencing a mass exodus of some of our best and brightest young people. These short-sighted cuts risk leaving communities like Dunedin as hollowed-out husks." MPols student Lindsay Roberts was among many students concerned about their academic future at Otago University. "I think for me and anyone considering doing a PhD in the future it kind of changes the incentive, to progress your career and progress your academic journey, you do want some kind of financial support as there is a big financial risk. "It pushes the incentive elsewhere — I've discussed going to Waikato University," Mr Roberts said. Former Otago University academic Prof Robin Gauld, now executive dean of Bond Business School at Bond University in Queensland, said he was aware of the concerns among the professoriate at his former university. "Good PhD students are incredible. They go on to be stellar academics, and they're incredibly productive. "So they build reputation and they build a research pipeline. They are a pretty important piece of the university's lifeblood, really." Mr Robertson's email said the September and November Graduate Research Committee doctoral scholarship panels and award rounds would be cancelled. Students who met the academic criteria for an automatic scholarship award would still be accepted and it would follow through with offers to those approved at the most recent (June) meeting of the Graduate Research Committee and the agreed Maori and Pacific Strategic awards. "Our budget for 2026 must continue the path to reducing our deficit and returning us to a financial surplus, as required by the Tertiary Education Commission." A university spokeswoman said it forecast spending about $19.77m on doctoral scholarships this year, slightly above last year's spend of $18.26m. It declined to give a projected spend for next year, other than to say it was "certainly no more " than this year. It did not expect the change to affect its reputation. "This is a temporary pause on new doctoral scholarship offers. We have hundreds of doctoral scholarship students studying at Otago, and we will be awarding more scholarships this year and next year."
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Association formed to boost connection in sciences
University of Otago students attending the new Otago Biochemistry and Genetics Student Association launch party had reason to pay special attention to the health and safety briefing from co-president Liam Young (right) after a tsunami alert rang out through their mobiles in the Terrace Lounge at the University of Otago on Wednesday evening. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN A lack of tertiary science major social cohesion, and nobody being "mates" has inspired two University of Otago students to kick-start an association. Otago Biochemistry and Genetics Student Association (OBiGSA) co-presidents Liam Young and Cushla Bridges both came up with the idea after realising people studying the two "closely related" disciplines did not really know each other very well outside the lecture theatre. Miss Bridges said "basically none of us were mates outside of class". "We thought that we would make this club so that everyone could come together and have events like this, but also fun things. "We've had a quiz night, we're going to have like a movie night, a karaoke night, that sort of thing as well." The demand for a student association turned out to be very high and the room of their official launch on Wednesday was packed to the rafters and a sellout event. Miss Bridges said they had sold about 120 tickets. "We didn't expect it, but also we pushed quite hard for it, so I don't know what we were expecting." Mr Young said they celebrated the launch by getting to "pick the brains" of industry experts at a scientific panel. "We're basically asking them questions that you just can't find on Google ... Google and ChatGPT, they tell us everything and they seem to know everything — we're asking the humans something a bit more thought-provoking." He said they wanted some specialists to share their opinionated and controversial thoughts about various science topics. At the event yesterday were students from a range of majors, including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, immunology majors, biochemistry, genetics and zoology. Mr Young and Miss Bridges hoped the association lasted long after they left the university. "You've got to give the dream to someone else eventually," Mr Young said.
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Views split on mandatory lecture recording
All lectures at the University of Otago could be recorded and available by next year if a group of academics and students gets its way. Deputy vice-chancellor academic Prof Stuart Brock, who is supporting the move, says the new policy would have measures in place to ensure student attendance at lectures did not dwindle. The proposal, which could be debated before the university's academic senate in September, has been sponsored by Prof Brock and the Otago University Students' Association. OUSA academic representative Stella Lynch said this had been "a long time coming". "To me it's just common sense, and showing some respect for our students that we provide them with learning materials when they can't turn up to class." Ms Lynch said making it mandatory had received some push-back from the academic community, who were worried it would lead to a drop in people attending lectures. "We can't always turn up ... we've got students who work multiple part-time jobs, or are sick because they live in cold, damp flats. "Something's got to give and that's often our education, so some staff are concerned that with a lack of attendance, there's going to be a lack of engagement with content — but if we give students rich recordings, that's just another avenue or mode for students to engage with their learning in a way that suits them." Prof Brock sent a memorandum to university staff last month, asking for responses. It said the recording of lectures and other teaching activities policy was last reviewed in 2016, and since then there had been many changes in teaching and recording practices at the university, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic and the adoption of the disability action plan last year. "It is noted there are strong views from both sides of the lecture recording conversation and while the revised policy proposes making lecture recordings compulsory, we recognise the importance of encouraging in-person attendance whenever possible, and other work is being undertaken to support this." Prof Brock later told the Otago Daily Times any policy would acknowledge the importance of in-person attendance for a full academic experience. "If lecture recordings become compulsory, the university will also develop strategies to promote lecture attendance and engagement. "Recordings are intended to complement — not replace — attendance, providing support for revision or for students with valid reasons for being absent. "Lecture recordings would not be used as a substitute for regular lecture attendance. "The proposed policy sets out what exceptions and mitigations need to be in place to manage various risks including student attendance." Professors the ODT spoke to about the policy had mixed views. School of Biomedical Sciences Prof Peter Dearden said "we need to record lectures to make sure that if something goes wrong, we can provide them the information". "But I also think we need just to find ways to ensure that that doesn't mean that students sit in their hall rooms and never come to lectures. "We can't record labs. We just try to make sure that students come to labs and we do our best to interact with them and make sure that lab work is an interesting experience. "I kind of think that that's where we need to go with lectures. They need to be much more interactive ..." Ms Lynch hoped the policy would be adopted. "We've been talking about it for 18 months. Now it's been really a part of the conversations and socialised for so long that students are just, they're waiting, they're anticipating the policy to go through. "I don't think the university realises quite the shock and disappointment that it will be if we don't get this." Prof Brock said a second round of consultation would close later next month. A process will then follow whereby a revised policy would go through several formal committees before proceeding to the university's senior academic committee, senate and then to council for final approval.
Otago Daily Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Transtasman alliance could be global force for good
New Zealand and Australia need to give much greater attention to the combined impact they could have on the world stage, an international relations specialist says. Prof Robert Patman says the two countries' close relationship could be used to help address global issues. He urges the governments of both countries to formulate a plan to campaign for change on issues they have shared views on, such as the erosion of international law by great powers. ''I think both Canberra and Wellington need to give that issue a lot more attention,'' Prof Patman said. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Speaking on the Otago Daily Times' Global Insight, the University of Otago academic said global issues were too big for superpowers to solve unilaterally, allowing middle and small powers to work together on transnational solutions. ''[That] opens the door for New Zealand and Australia to play a constructive role and win over majority support... to bring about effective change.'' Prof Patman would like to see New Zealand and Australia collaborate to push for reform of the United Nations Security Council, where five countries - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - have veto rights on council resolutions. Watch full interview here He wants the veto constrained or even abolished, or, alternatively, for the General Assembly to be empowered, when there is a two-thirds majority, to overrule any veto. ''There's a lack of global leadership on key issues... So, I do think there's real scope for Australia and New Zealand.'' In this episode of Global Insight, Prof Patman also outlines the state of the New Zealand-Australia relationship, considers what could threaten or strengthen that partnership and details the Christchurch Call as an example of New Zealand's leading role in influencing collaborative change at an international level.
