McCully secures shameful legacy for NZ at UNSC As New Zealand prepares to finish its time on the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Murray McCully will be remembered for his complicity in making it illegal for Jews to pray at their holiest site, the Western Wall. In the…
Reality Music – Israel I was fortunate enough to be invited to Israel in September by the Schusterman Foundation as part of the Reality Israel program. After selling their Oklahoma energy company the Schusterman family pledged to give back by running trips to the…
When a Zionist went to Ramallah: You won’t believe what she found As a Jewish Zionist it is easy enough to believe that all Palestinians hate me, they see Israel as the source of all their suffering, and they believe that Jews do not belong there. It’s not hard to find evidence…
Will NZ also stop the BDS rot? In many countries around the world, human rights are severely lacking. While we Kiwis can do better in some areas, we should be proud of the freedoms and protections we have as a liberal democracy. The types of systematic discrimination…
Historians demand evidence; anti-Israel lobby fails As students head back into another year of study, it is worth re-visiting the issue of academic freedom. We have previously written about this in the New Zealand context, and the need for discussion and debate over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict….
What’s really driving BDS? – By Ylia Trotter This video questions the motivation behind the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) group. We find ourselves easily captivated by the pro-Palestinian activists’ inspiring zeal and apparent sense of justice. However, digging a little deeper than their chants and slogans reveals…
Freedom of speech in NZ Universities: How free? Educators in New Zealand have an honourable record in upholding the value of freedom of speech — as well they should for the value is also the lifeblood of a liberal democracy. But traditions sometimes get a little frayed around…
Nikki Haley: The UN has done much more damage to the prospects for Middle East peace than to advance them