New Zealanders Fight Back Over Their PM’s Support for Resolution 2334

In the wake of New Zealand taking a leading role in pushing through United Nations Security Council resolution 2334, which effectively makes it illegal for Jews to pray at their holiest site and blames only Israel for a lack of peace, 858 Jewish and non-Jewish New Zealanders and 27 kiwi organisations have signed the following letter to Rt. Hon. Bill English, Prime Minister of New Zealand.

 

29 December 2016

The Rt Hon Bill English
New Zealand Prime Minister
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

Dear Prime Minister,

Re New Zealand’s vote on UNSC resolution 2334

  1. We, the undersigned are New Zealand citizens and residents, Jewish and non- Jewish, with a spectrum of political views, who write to express our condemnation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 (“Resolution”), and particularly the New Zealand Government’s involvement in it.
  1. We note at the outset that our dismay at the Resolution does not express a view on the matter of all such Jewish settlements outside of the 1949 armistice lines.
  1. Our concern is that the Resolution is one-sided and continues the UN’s woeful record of rewriting history and delegitimising the Jewish state. It is also counter-productive; undermining, rather than enhancing, the chances of peace in this complex and long-standing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It widens the chasm between both sides, instead of building a bridge.
  1. The UN is a deeply flawed institution whose inherent bias against Israel has been acknowledged by Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, and indeed Minister McCully. The UN has no credibility as regards the question of Israel and the Palestinians. The UN has excoriated Israel at every opportunity, while ignoring the failings of the Palestinians. The Security Council, riven with incompetence and political agendas and has failed to address the greatest atrocity of our time in Syria. It is not the forum to resolve or provide a mechanism for resolution of a long-standing dispute between two parties, especially when one is Israel. Only those parties themselves can arrive at a resolution, through direct negotiations.
  1. However, there is now no incentive for the Palestinians to negotiate, because the outcome of any negotiations has been pre-determined. The Resolution has granted the Palestinians more than they have themselves sought, so that they cannot now accept less through negotiations without losing face. The Resolution has declared what is “occupied Palestinian territory”, being all land beyond the arbitrary 1949 armistice lines that resulted from a war initiated by the Arab states to eliminate the nascent Jewish state. This is land that Palestinians have never had sovereignty over, and that between 1949 and 1967 was occupied by Jordan. The Security Council has apparently enshrined a new principle of international law, that land acquired in a defensive war from an occupying power belongs to a third party who at the time of the war claimed no sovereignty over that land nor sought autonomy. It declares Jewish presence in these lands, a continual presence of thousands of years (except for the ethnic cleansing that occurred under Jordanian occupation) a ”flagrant violation of international law”. It therefore requires that these lands become Jew-free, while Arab Palestinians constitute 20% of Israel’s population and enjoy the full benefits of citizenship.
  1. The Resolution does not differentiate between the “blocs” and other settlements, although all previous negotiations and the Palestinians themselves have done so. It has decreed that East Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, is under “occupation” and consequently that some 200,000 Jewish East Jerusalem residents are illegal settlers. It is extremely disturbing and devastating that it makes it illegal for Jews to attend Hebrew University or to pray at their most holy site, the Western Wall, the heart of Judaism, to which Jews have physically and spiritually directed their prayers for thousands of years. By doing so, the Resolution imperils the shared and very special foundation of Judaism and Christianity. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is now also in “occupied Palestinian territory”.
  1. The Resolution rewards Palestinian intransigence, and incitement and glorification of terrorism. It does not hold the Palestinians to account for their corruption, human rights abuses and failures in developing the machinery of a democratic state and civic society. It ignores Israel’s previous settlement offers. It empowers boycott, divestment and sanction against Israel, a country that contributes so much to the world in terms of science, innovation, medicine, technology, humanitarianism, the arts, and counter-terrorism. It does not acknowledge the right of Jewish self- determination—indeed, its very premise violates that right. Settlements are blamed as the root cause of the failure to achieve a lasting resolution, rather than the continued Palestinian denial of sovereignty of the Jewish people over their indigenous homeland.
  1. We are ashamed of the role of New Zealand in this travesty and feel betrayed by our Government. New Zealand partnered with Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela to sponsor the Resolution, countries which do not share our liberal Western values. The Resolution has been praised by Islamic Jihad and Hamas. This is nothing to be proud of. We believe Minister McCully has acted with questionable mandate and has for some time listened only to, and indeed gone so far as advocating for, one side. He has overturned long-standing New Zealand policy and ignored expert advice. He has yet again brought mockery and scorn upon this country and the Government. He has desperately, under urgency (on the eve of Christmas and Chanukah) and without transparency, sought to secure a legacy on the last day of the Security Council’s meeting during New Zealand’s term.
  1. He has indeed secured a legacy. However, it is one that has made the prospect of peace ever more distant for the reasons discussed above, and brought ignominy on New Zealand. It has caused opprobrium among international commentators, calls for boycotts of our goods by supporters of Israel around the world, and demands for an end to our burgeoning relationship with Israel, from which New Zealand has more to gain economically. This is even more distressing given the impending commemoration next year of 100 years since the ANZAC campaign in Beersheva, in which New Zealand played such a proud part in turning the tide of the war against the Ottoman Empire, and therefore a pivotal role in the establishment of Israel.
  1. Minister McCully has also disenfranchised many—until now—loyal National party supporters.
  1. As Prime Minister, we believe it is incumbent upon you to make a public statement on the Resolution and its implications.
 We also request that you meet urgently with representatives of this group.

Yours sincerely,
A group of 858 Jewish and non-Jewish New Zealanders, names withheld from this version. The following organisations also signed the letter:

  • New Zealand Jewish Council
  • International Christian Embassy Jerusalem New Zealand
  • Auckland Hebrew Congregation
  • Australasian Union of Jewish Students
  • B’nai B’rith New Zealand
  • Beth Shalom Synagogue Auckland
  • Bridges for Peace
  • Calvary Chapel New Zealand
  • Celebrate Messiah New Zealand
  • ChangePoint Church Tauranga
  • Christian Friends of Israel New Zealand
  • Christians 4 Israel
  • City Glory Church
  • Ebenezer Emergency Fund Trust New Zealand
  • Ezekiel 33 Trust New Zealand
  • Faithpointe Church – Auckland
  • Hawkes Bay Friends Of Israel Association
  • Jesus First Church
  • Jewish Federation of New Zealand
  • Pacific Pearls
  • Praying for Israel Groups Tauranga
  • South Wind Fellowship
  • Te Hau Wairua
  • The Church of the Rock International
  • The Oasis Church – Napier
  • Trumpet of Salvation to Israel
  • Zionist Federation of New Zealand

To add your name to the letter, sign the petition here.

Originally posted on Shalom.Kiwi

[watch] OBAMA TO DECLARE PALESTINE? Ambassador Ron Dermer: “We Have Evidence Obama Orchestrated the UN Vote”

On Fox News Israeli Ambassodor to the USA explicitely said that Israel has evidence that the Obama administration was behind the vote from the beginning.

“We have that evidence … we’re going to present it to the new administration, and if they choose to share it with the American people, that’ll be their choice,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer told Fox News’ “Special Report.” “It’s very clear that the U.S. orchestrated that.”

Will Obama Attack Again?

Israel is preparing for yet another collision with the ourgoing Obama administration, as Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to follow up UN Resolution 2334  with a major address on the “U.S. vision for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ”

The State Department has now confirmed that Kerry plans on discussing the Middle East peace process on Wednesday.

Israeli news outlets are reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very concerned that the Obama Administration will have the Security Council endorse principles for a Palestinian state.

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UN RESOLUTION FALLOUT: PM Netanyahu Cancels Ukrainian PM’s Visit, Ukraine Responds

PM Netanyahu cancels the visit of the Ukrainian Prime Minister to Israel.  Kiev’s response; “The crisis in the Middle East is the deepest it has been throughout its history.”

Following the cancellation of the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groysman, to Israel, the Ukrainian delegation to the United Nations responded to their support of the United Nations resolution against settlements in the Security Council.

“Unprecedented settlement activities by Israel in the palestinian territories does not help to deal with violence.”

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled on Saturday the visit of his Ukrainian counterpart following the state support for the UN resolution against settlements, a delegation of Ukraine to the United Nations issued a message explaining Kiev’s support for the resolution. “The search for a solution is now in the deepest crisis in history,” the statement read. “The lack of prospects for reviving the peace process between Israel and the palestinians has led to an escalation of the security situation in Israel and the West Bank on a daily basis. As a result, the unprecedented settlement activities of Israel in the palestinian territories does not help deal with the violence”, said the diplomats.

In their statement, the delegation noted that the decision that was finally approved was more lenient with Israel than the original resolution and included references to palestinian terror.

“The call to Israel to stop settlement activity as a prerequisite for resolving the conflict as part of a two-state solution is not new,” the statement said. “All parties call out for efforts to achieve peace and security in the Middle East.”

The delegation made a connection between the Russian occupation of Crimea and the Israeli occupation. For Ukraine, abstention or objection to the resolution calling for a cease of illegal actions in the territories that under international law are considered occupied territory, would be contrary to the struggle on the diplomatic front against the occupation of the Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by Russia.

“These are political issues, about which positions cannot vary according to the political situation. There are national interests that do not often match the interests of our partners, especially Israel. Because of these interests, we cannot abstain or object,” it said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement cancelling the visit of Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman to Israel, in protest against his country’s support for the draft resolution against settlements received on Friday by the UN Security Council. Groysman, who is the first Jewish Prime Minister of Ukraine elected last April, was to arrive in Israel on Wednesday.

Cancellation of the visit was one of a series of steps taken by the government following the adoption of resolution 2334 on Friday by the UN Security Council, with the support of all Council members. The United States abstained in the vote instead of vetoing the resolution.  The abstention by the Obama administration has set off a furor of reactions by Israel against all those who voted in favor of the resolution and the US.

BREAKING NEWS: Russian Ambassador Shot in Turkey, Will There Be War?

[This post has been updated]

News out of Turkey is reporting the following:

Russia’s ambassador to Turkey has been assassinated by an off-duty police officer in front of terrified witnesses allegedly in retaliation for the crisis in Aleppo. -Mirror


The attacker fired once in the air and then shot at the ambassador. Although it is too early tell who is behind the attack, the assassination attempt has the potential to start a dramatic increase in hostilities between Russia and Turkey.  Both nations have shared their share of animosity over the years.  Recently, a Russian aircraft was shot down by Turkey, killing the pilot.  Yet, the assassination attempt if traced to pro Erdogan would take relations to a new low, possibly igniting a regional conflict.

Bill Kristol is referring to the assassination Arch Duke Ferdinand, which triggered World War One.

Below is the situation right after the shooting. One can see the ambassador lying in a pool of blood.

Will There Be War?

If there was ever a trigger for a regional war this would be it.  Russia has been looking for a reason to shot down shipping traffic in the Bosphorous for some time and could use this to do it.  With weeks left to Obama’s turn, get ready for his administration to milk this for all its worth in terms of NATO involvement, especially since he knows Trump won’t aid Turkey.

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It’s Official: Trump Makes Friedman the Next US Ambassador to Israel

Confirming the rumors that Trump was going to nominate David Friedman as the next American Ambassador, the President Elect made the announcement today by saying:

“(Friedman) has been a long-time friend and trusted advisor to me. His strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission and be a tremendous asset to our country as we strengthen the ties with our allies and strive for peace in the Middle East.”

David Friedman is a lawyer and a right-wing supporter of Israel.  He contributes to countless Land of Israel causes and is strong backer of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem.  The appointment is a confirmation that Trump may in fact deal with Israel very differently than any president before him.

BREAKING NEWS: Two Jews Stabbed by Arab Terrorist in the Old City

[Updated]

After a reprieve from terror attacks, Jerusalem’s Old City is once again the target for radical Islamic terrorism.  Two Israeli police officers were wounded by the attacker near the Lions Gate. Police shot and critically wounded the terrorist who used a screwdriver to wound the police.

The Lions Gate area is deep into what was once a mixed Jewish Arab neighborhood before the Jordanian occupation.  There had been no Jews living there until a reacquired Jewish apartment was recently renovated and filled with young Yeshiva boys.  Even local Arabs consider the neighborhood dangerous as young gangs from rival clans frequently attack each other. With Jews moving back in, there has been increased threats of violence.

“A few weeks ago I was walking with my friends to look at the new apartment and Arab youth came out threatened to physically harm us.  Thankfully, one of us had a gun, which the Arab youth clearly saw. We ended up back off and walking back.  The police have little to do with the area and are as nervous about the violence as we are,” a Jewish activist told Israel Rising.

Islamic terrorists understand that the ongoing Jewish return to neighborhoods that were primarily Jewish before the British backed Arab riots expelled the Jews from 1920 to 1948, is the biggest threat to the supremacy of Islam.  This is exactly why they are increasing their attacks in areas that have yet to be returned to their indigenous residents.

“If they think these attacks will even remotely slow down Jews from moving into that area they are very terribly mistaken. G-d willing we will be moving in 2 to 3 families there in the next few months. Arab terrorism will be defeated with Jewish victory!” Rabbi Ben Packer of the Heritage House said about the incident.

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Israel Finally Bans Radical Leftwing Organization from Teaching in Schools

Naftali Bennett, Israel’s Education Minister has issued new directives through the ministry effectively banning EU funded subversive groups like Breaking the Silence from lecturing students.

“This circular clarifies the commitment of those – teachers or outside entities – who speak to pupils to the very existence of the State of Israel and to the State Education Law, and stresses the prohibition against undermining the legitimacy of the State of Israel and its national institutions, while allowing criticism of the state on condition that the discussion is kept within the boundaries cited above.  Similarly, the circular stresses that entry will not be granted to outside entities and speakers whose activities encourage, inter alia, racism, discrimination, incitement, calls to violence, party propaganda not in keeping with the director-general’s circular on the matter, and discussion that undermines the legitimacy of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Nor will entry be granted to speakers who have committed a crime of moral turpitude or an entity that operates contrary to the laws of the State of Israel or an entity whose activity undermines the very legitimacy of state entities (like the Israel Defense Forces or the courts).”

 

Breaking the Silence responded by saying: “Since Breaking the Silence does not undermine the legitimacy of the IDF, but the occupation policy of the Bennett government which sends IDF soldiers to enforce an immoral military regime over millions of Palestinians, then apparently these are once again empty political declarations.”

Of course the group does not mention it is heavily funded by George Soros and anti-Israel forces in the EU. Its main objective is not just education, but the group literally disrupts security services and operations throughout Israel’s biblical heartland known as Judea and Samaria. Just because it is made up of former IDF officers does not give it the backing it claims it should have.  Most IDF veterans, both religious and secular support Israel’s continued presence in its historical heartland.  Breaking the Silence has one agenda and that is to disseminate false information with the hope that the IDF will lose the moral justification for its security operations and civilian defense that it undertakes throughout the communities of Judea and Samaria.

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BREAKING NEWS: Israeli Jets Bomb Locations Near Damascus

Local reports near the Mezze Airforce Base right outside of Damascus claim aerial bombardment of the base at 4am. Although the official Syrian regime response to the attack is that “the base suffered a malfunction causing an internal fire,” eyewitnesses reporting to non-Assad control media detailed the 4am missile attack as coming from the air.

Mezze Air Base Location | Source: Google Maps

All Syria an opposition website reports the following:

Media sources confirmed the pro-regime outbreak of large fires in the Mezze military airport west of the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday at dawn, shortly after explosions likely to have resulted from Israeli raids on the airport.

Mezze military airport is one of the most important military airports in Syria, and separating few kilometers from the presidential palace.

And variations novels pro system for reasons, he said some of the explosions were caused by an internal malfunction in the airport, while others said it was caused by Israeli shelling, and did not issue any official statement until the time of preparation of this article.

The airport is in addition to being an air base, the main concentration of regime forces on the outskirts of the capital, points, and there are inside thousands of items from the forces of order, also it contains a prison, followed by Air Force Intelligence, best known for his ill-treatment and killing of hundreds of detainees, according to the testimonies of survivors of it.

Below is a video taken from the attack, clearly showing the attack coming from the air and not a result of a base malfunction.

BREAKING NEWS: Putin Retaliates for Ukraine’s Missile Violation

Just when you thought it was safe again, Putin is getting his sweet revenge for Ukraine’s missile test violation over Crimea.

UkrinForm a pro-Kiev Social Platform reports the following:

Militants launched 25 attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the ATO zone in Donbas over the past day, the ATO press center reports.

In particular, in Mariupol direction, terrorists used 120mm and 82mm mortars to shell Krasnohorivka and Talakovka. Also, militants fired on Marinka, using mortars, armored personnel carriers, air defense guns and large caliber machineguns.

In Donetsk direction, militants launched attacks on the Ukrainian positions in Avdiivka, using grenade launchers and large caliber machineguns.

In Luhansk direction, the Ukrainian troops in Novozvanivka came under 120mm and 82mm mortars attacks, while in Novooleksandrivka, Troitske and Krymske terrorists attacked the Ukrainian soldiers using grenade launchers of various systems. Terrorists also launched attacks on Stanitsa Luhanska.

Ignore the semantics used by the ATO to term rebels as terrorists and look at the bigger picture.  A NATO backed Ukraine fired missiles near Russian controlled Crimea expecting Putin to sit quiet. Putin never attacks direct.  His reaction is now clearly being felt in the war on Donbass as he has given the green light for a serious Russian backed rebel offensive.

Source: Google Maps
Source: Google Maps

Does anyone else see the coming clash between NATO and Russia?

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BREAKING NEWS: Obama Gets a Push Back From Congress over his Drive to Create “Palestine”

On November 29th the US House of Representatives H.Con.Res.165 in a bid to stop Obama from using his waning days as President to force a “Palestinian” state on Israel. The resolution which is heading to the Senate states the following:

“Expressing the sense of Congress and reaffirming longstanding United States policy in support of a direct bilaterally negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and opposition to United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing a solution to the conflict.”  

The resolution stands in direct opposition to the path that Obama appears to be moving towards as his Presidency comes to a close.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida speaking on the House floor regarding this resolution said the following:

“I wish that this resolution was not needed, but sadly, we know better.  The fact that we need to bring this up for debate and pass a resolution urging a United States administration to uphold long-standing U.S. policy as it relates to the peace process is telling and also disappointing … These next two months are going to be crucial for our friend and ally, the democratic and Jewish state of Israel … Israel is facing a constant barrage by Palestinians and their supporters at the United Nations …

Sadly, it has become clear over the past year that this administration may be looking to take unprecedented action — and in fact, we’ve heard that the administration has been seeking ways in which it could force the Israelis into making dangerous concessions … I have asked … nearly every administration official who has come before our Foreign Affairs Committee headed by Mr. Royce and Mr. Engel if President Obama will uphold long-standing U.S. policy and will veto any Security Council resolution related to Israel, and each one has evaded the question, refusing to reaffirm this long-standing, unambiguous, non-controversial policy.

 Any short-term achievement that an imposed solution will bring will be far outweighed by the long-term damage it will cause … Any action … aimed at forcing unilateral solutions … will be detrimental to the prospects of peace, and it would harm both Israelis and the Palestinians … true peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians can only come by direct, bilateral negotiations between them.”

 

Next move is Obama’s.

Info Provided by: Reflections of Indwelling Light

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