New Zealand PM Luxon says Israel’s Netanyahu has ‘lost the plot’
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New Zealand is considering whether to recognise a Palestinian state., Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said earlier this week.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WELLINGTON – New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Aug 13 that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot” as the country weighs up whether to recognise a Palestinian state
Mr Luxon told reporters the lack of humanitarian assistance, forceful displacement of people and annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Mr Netanyahu had gone way too far.
“I think he has lost the plot,” said Mr Luxon, who heads the centre-right coalition government. “What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable.”
Mr Luxon said earlier this week New Zealand was considering whether to recognise a Palestinian state.
Close ally Australia on Aug 11 joined Britain, Canada and France in announcing it would do so at a UN conference in September.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached “unimaginable levels”, said Australia, Britain, Canada and several of their European allies on Aug 12, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas militants of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies.
Ahead of an Aug 13 parliamentary session, a small number of protesters gathered outside the country’s Parliament buildings, beating pots and pans.
Local media outlet Stuff reported that protesters chanted “MPs grow a spine, recognise Palestine”.
On Aug 12, Green Party co-leader and parliamentarian Chloe Swarbrick was removed from Parliament’s debating chamber
Ms Swarbrick was ordered to leave the debating chamber for a second day on Aug 13 after she again refused to apologise. When she refused to leave, the government voted to suspend her.
“Sixty-eight members of this House were accused of being spineless,” House Speaker Gerry Brownlee said.
“There has never been a time when personal insults like that, delivered inside a speech, were accepted by this House, and I’m not going to start accepting it.”
As Ms Swarbrick left, she called out “free Palestine”. REUTERS
