95bFM ‘The people of New Zealand want the Government to act’ — Calls for more than just recognising Palestinian statehood
21 August, 2025
Interviews by Caeden Tipler and Alex Fox, adapted by Sara Mckoy
Amidst political stagnation within the Government about the official response to Israel’s war on Gaza, co-chairs of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), Maher Nazzal and John Minto, say urgent action is necessary. Image: Caeden Tipler
Last week, during a parliamentary debate on New Zealand’s recognition of Palestinian statehood, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was kicked out of Parliament for comments calling for MPs to “get a spine”.
As countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and France all indicate their plans to recognise Palestinian statehood next month, Swarbrick says "genocide is unfolding, and our Government is sitting on its hands."
She called for the Government to support her members' bill, the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, and let New Zealand “stand on the right side of history”.
This comes as a public survey commissioned by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa found that 60% of New Zealanders are in favour of sanctioning Israel.
Both chairs of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), Maher Nazzal and John Minto, told 95bFM’s The Wire that political indecision is hindering urgent action by New Zealand in response to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Nazzal says the ejection of Swarbrick was disappointing given the context of the inhumane conditions faced by Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“This is a shame on us really to treat [Swarbrick] like this, because what she did is what any human [would] do, after all that we are seeing happen in Gaza nowadays.”
He says that while the debate on Palestinian statehood is important, it is just a “baby step” towards the urgent actions the PSNA is advocating for.
“We need New Zealand to use its diplomatic relationships so it can allow more and more humanitarian aid to reach out to Gaza immediately.
“We need to stop any diplomatic relationship with Israel, and we need to sanction Israel.”
Given the support from nearly two-thirds of New Zealanders for sanctions on Israel in their survey, Minto affirms that the Government should take their humanitarian responsibility more seriously.
“In my lifetime, I have never seen a situation where we've got this level of depravity and cruelty of a state, in this case the state of Israel, that has not had a very firm response from the New Zealand Government.”
He claims that the ACT Party and the New Zealand First Party have been given an “enormous say” over the progress of the Government’s stance.
“Forget the words. We've had too many words… The people of New Zealand want the Government to act.”
As weekly protests across Aotearoa reach their 96th week, Minto says it is up to the Government to take the necessary action on behalf of New Zealand’s humanitarian interests.
“The only thing we're doing is putting a name to statements that are utterly meaningless…
“It is the sanctions which will be able to stop the genocide, not recognition of a Palestinian state, so the emphasis in New Zealand must be on sanctions.”
