New Zealand Labour Party Will Make Efforts to Recognise Palestine if Re-Elected

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks during a tree planting ceremony at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 26, 2023. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand’s Labour Party will push diplomatic efforts to formally recognise Palestine if re-elected this year.

The Labour Manifesto 2023, published on Oct. 1, states that if re-elected, the party will “invite the Head of the General Delegation of Palestine to present their credentials as an Ambassador to New Zealand.”

This would place New Zealand into a large global coalition of nations that advocate for the recognition of Palestinian sovereignty as the first step in achieving peace in the disputed region.

The majority of United Nations (U.N.) member states—139 of 193—already recognise the State of Palestine, the most prominent being China, India, Brazil, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

A spokesperson for New Zealand-based advocacy group “Justice for Palestine,” Neil Ballantyne, has overwhelmingly voiced his support for the Labour Party’s choice, claiming it is imperative in showcasing New Zealand’s independence in constructing sound foreign policy.

“It’s great to see the Labour Party joining the Green Party in making a commitment to recognize Palestine if elected. In doing so they are continuing Aotearoa New Zealand’s tradition of taking independent and principled stances on foreign policy issues from nuclear free to standing up against apartheid,” Mr. Ballantyne said in a statement.

He is also adamant New Zealand’s choice to recognise Palestine is necessary to maintain consistency in line with the nation’s previous stances on similar geopolitical issues.

“We have faith that just as ordinary New Zealanders were not prepared to stand by in silence while the South African government maintained an apartheid regime, we will not be silent while Palestinians suffer similar indignities and will reward those politicians who are taking this courageous stance,” he said.

New Zealand’s Stance

New Zealand is currently one of the only Western nations showing any signs of recognising Palestine as a nation state. It has historically condemned the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, has on many occasions declared official support for the U.N.-backed proposal for a two-state solution.

Unlike it’s Western contemporaries, it also consistently votes for pro-Palestinian measures at U.N. conferences.

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2021 articulated her belief that Israel’s “encroachment, settlements, and evictions” in the West Bank are what’s holding back a progression of diplomatic relations within the two conflicted nations.

Despite his party’s long held support, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has come out in condemnation of Hamas’ unprecedented assault on Israel that began on Saturday.

“What the world should be reassured by is that New Zealand absolutely condemns these attacks,” Mr. Hipkins told journalists.

“We are appalled by the targeting of civilians in the taking of hostages, which violate fundamental international humanitarian principles.”

With an election looming, Mr. Hipkins is currently fixated on winning as much support from the New Zealand populace as he can over the next few days but has expressed his willingness to construct a more extensive and evolved response as he receives more information.

New Zealanders are set to take to the ballot box on Oct. 14 to decide the fate of their next ruling party at the 2023 New Zealand general election.

The Labour Party, which has presided in government since 2017, is set to lose out to the centre-right National Party led by Christopher Luxon, according to the polls.

The most recent polling conducted reveals Labour is currently trailing the National vote, holding just 27.5 percent behind the latter’s 34.5 percent.

New Zealand First, a minor conservative party led by former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is likely to hold the balance of power under the nation’s mixed-member proportional system which has normalised the existence of coalitions.

Gaza Conflict

Hamas’ conflagration launched from the Gaza Strip has already claimed over 2,000 lives (around 1,200 Israelis and 900 Palestinians), many of which are civilian deaths. The terrorist attack constitutes the largest incursion seen since the Yom Kippur War in 1973 that resulted in over 18,000 casualties.

Hamas leadership symbolically timed their attack in memory of the Yom Kippur War, which began on Oct. 6, 1973, and concluded on Oct. 25. It was also timed to disrupt current ongoing negotiations between the United States and Saudi Arabian governments for the latter to formally recognise Israel.

A ball of fire erupts from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza city controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, on May 15, 2021. MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images

There are additional concerns being placed on the U.S. Biden Administration over its potential complicity in indirectly aiding Hamas.

In August, the U.S. Government announced a deal between itself and the Iranian regime. In exchange for releasing five U.S. citizens detained in Tehran, Iran would receive $6 billion of its funds that had previously been frozen by the American government.

Considering Iran has for many years provided considerable financial assistance to Hamas, there are questions over where the $6 billion unfrozen by the U.S. has gone.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has denied the link, stating that not a “single dollar” has been spent from the unfrozen accounts. However, he added that Iran is likely supporting Hamas through other funds.