J-Link in Aotearoa New Zealand – silence in Wellington.
Jews are uniting against Israel’s proposed illegal annexation of Palestinian. Zionist and non-Zionist Jewish organisations agree.
The Union for Reform Judaism, Union for Progressive Judaism, J Street, T’ruah, and countless other organisations have come out against annexation. Over 100 scholars of public international law wrote that it “would constitute a flagrant violation of bedrock rules of international law.” Over 400 Jewish and Israel studies academics denounced it as “apartheid” and a “crime against humanity.”
J-LINK is an international network of Progressive Jewish organisations. J-LINK’s opposition to annexation represents 50 organisational signatories from 17 countries.
J-LINK’s Aotearoa signatories (including members of Sh’ma Kolenu, Dayenu, and individual New Zealand Jews) requested a meeting with the Ambassador of Israel to object to Israel’s impending annexation of West Bank land.
Ambassador Gerberg refused to meet, not once but three times.
J-LINK signatory groups in other countries have expressed their opposition to annexation directly to Ambassadors / Consuls General in more than 15 meetings.
Not in Wellington. Silence here.
Therefore, we can only deduce Israeli Ambassador Gerberg’s response from his reply to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ statement expressing our government serious concern about annexation.
In response, Ambassador Gerberg referred to the “significant opportunity … embedded in President Trump’s peace initiative.”
Ambassador Gerberg, annexation is no opportunity. It is a flagrant violation of law and a further deprivation of Palestinian human and political rights.
Marilyn Garson for members of Sh’ma Koleinu
June 29, 2020
Sh'ma Koleinu - Alternative Jewish Voices (NZ) 