Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
PSNA congratulates the Nelson City Council on its vote this afternoon to amend its procurement policy to exclude companies identified by the United Nations Human Rights Council as being complicit in the building and maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
“Nelson City Council is taking action while our government is looking the other way”, says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “It is Christopher Luxon who should be ending all New Zealand dealings with companies involved in the illegal Israeli settlements”.
“Instead our government is cowardly complicit with Israeli war crimes.” (It is a war crime to move your citizens onto land you occupy as Israel is doing)
Nelson City Council joins Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council who both adopted this policy earlier this year – other local bodies are following!
We also congratulate local Palestine solidarity activists in Nelson who have organised and battled so well for this historic win today. They are the heroes behind this decision.
In light of the Nelson City Council move today we are renewing our call for the government to act and
- Ban all imports from the illegal Israeli settlements
- Direct the Superfund, ACC and Kiwisaver providers to end their investments in all Israeli companies and other companies supporting the illegal Israeli settlements.
- Direct New Zealand government agencies to end procurement of goods or services from all Israeli companies and other companies supporting the illegal Israeli settlements.
Nā,
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
PS:
On the eve of the Nelson vote PSNA sent the following letter to all Nelson City Councillors:
In late 2016, a National-led government, under Bill English as Prime Minister and Murray McCully as Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC2334) which declared the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories had “no legal validity” and constituted “a flagrant violation under international law”. It said they were a “major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace” in the Middle East.
Predictably Israel scoffed at the resolution and said they would ignore it.
On 19 July this year the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory since 1967 was illegal and they directed Israel to withdraw its settlers from the territories within 12 months. The ICJ went on to say that “…all States are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the OPT and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories)…”
Israel is ignoring the ruling and is keeping on building illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land – the latest war on Gaza is one of the inevitable results.
Tomorrow, the Nelson City Council has the opportunity to play a small but significant part in upholding international law by declining to purchase goods or services from companies identified by the United Nations as being complicit in the building and maintenance of these illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
We urge you to do the right thing and support the proposal.
Ngā mihi.