Israel's ambassador to New Zealand has praised Foreign Minister Winston Peters, after he announced Aotearoa would not recognise a Palestinian state.
New Zealand will follow the likes of the United States, Japan and much of the South Pacific in refusing to recognise Palestinian statehood, despite 157 other countries doing so, Peters told the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday.
Alon Roth-Snir, who has headed the Israeli Embassy in Wellington since February, told RNZ that recognising state of Palestine would be to recognise Hamas as a legitimate political entity.
He believed the current situation in Gaza was proof of what a Palestinian state would make possible in other parts of the area.
"We saw what a Palestinian state in Gaza brought us to, we saw how it was used to create tunnels of terror, tunnels of death. We saw the rockets that this entity built.
"We didn't see any inclination to continue any peace process with Israel, we saw only hatred and war."
He saw this as the inevitable outcome for any Palestinian state, if one were given international recognition - with or without Hamas.
"Just last week, the Israeli army found rockets that were installed in the West Bank, in Judea and Samaria, aimed towards Israel.
"We see, for example, how - within the Palestinian authority - we have education towards a non-peaceful co-existence with Israelis. We see what is happening there in the 'pay for slay' process, in which people are being remunerated or paid to kill jews and Israelis."
New Zealand Jewish Council president Juliet Moses. Photo: Supplied
This argument, that recognising Palestine would reward Hamas' violence, is held by Israel's supporters in civil society and the international community.
NZ Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses told RNZ that to go the other way would have threatened the safety of jews and Israelis in New Zealand.
"More broadly, there are dangers actually attached for the free world, because that sends a message that, if you undertake a violent attack, like what Hamas undertook on 7 October, 2023, then you will be rewarded with what you want."
Moses said giving Hamas that legitimacy would empower them, making it harder to recover Israeli hostages.
"It cannot be anywhere near the levers of power, unless it wants to completely change its position and renounce its mission of destroying Israel. It can't be at the negotiating table, because it doesn't believe in negotiations."
Peters echoed this sentiment in his speech at the United Nations, calling it a central component of Aotearoa's dilemma.
"Statehood recognition, as an instrument for peace, also does not play, because there is no fully legitimate and viable State of Palestine to recognise.
"Hamas is resisting negotiation in the belief it is winning the global propaganda war, while pushing Israel towards even more intransigent military positions."
New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters speaks during the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP
Peters told the assembly that Hamas would turn New Zealand's recognition into a bargaining chip.
"Hamas will seek to portray our recognition of Palestine as a victory, as they have already done in response to partner announcements. Israel will claim that recognition rewards Hamas, and that it removes pressure on them to release hostages and agree to a ceasefire."
Ambassador Roth-Snir said he was very happy with the level of support and attention that New Zealand was paying them.
"We have good contacts with MFAT and alike, with the other relevant interlocutors within the Kiwi government, and I think that our point of view is being heard."
He said he would work towards ramping up New Zealand-Israel relations, with the added hope that a Kiwi embassy in Israel may open in the near future, but his embassy's presence in Wellington had been the subject of controversy since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.
'Absolute cowardice'
Asher Wilson-Goldman, spokesperson for Dayenu - New Zealand Jews Against the Occupation, told RNZ he wanted Roth-Snir expelled from Aotearoa.
He believed New Zealand may be listening to Israel, but any pro-peace messaging vice-versa wasn't getting through.
"Whatever conversations have been had between our government and the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, they obviously haven't had an impact.
"Winston Peters has said he wants to keep the ambassador here, so that we can keep expressing our view. Well, I'm sorry, but the Israeli government clearly doesn't care about our view."
Wilson-Goldman called Peters' speech "absolute cowardice", saying New Zealand was "aiding and abetting in genocide".
"The reality is that, if you want the people of Palestine to be standing up, to be saying 'this is the kind of life we want to live', they need to be given the opportunity to do that.
"Hamas does whatever Hamas does, but ultimately, the thing that is hurting Palestinians the most is the genocide Israel is committing and that's what needs to stop."
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