In what organizers said was New Zealand's largest march in support of Palestinians, protesters called on their center-right government to impose sanctions on Israel, holding Palestinian flags and bearing signs reading 'Don't normalize genocide' and 'Grow a spine, stand with Palestine'
As the New Zealand government weighs joining Australia in recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he thinks Netanyahu 'has lost the plot,' and called what is happening in Gaza 'utterly appalling'
A foreign ministry official clarified that Israelis requesting to enter New Zealand for less than three months don't need a visa, and that 'the form for the longer term visitor visa – which applies to anyone – does include a question about military service,' though this is not a new requirement
New Zealand will now require every Israeli to provide details of their military service to receive a visitor visa. A 'genocide hotline' has also been set up by a local pro-Palestinian group, and Kiwis can now report on IDF troops visiting the country
"Israeli soldiers should not enjoy rest and recreation from genocide in New Zealand," Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) said in the newsletter.
Asher Etherington is the unorthodox young head of the largest Jewish congregation on New Zealand's South Island, in Christchurch. His latest pet project is illustrating the entire Torah using AI. A third and final report from New Zealand
Numbering anywhere between 7,500 to 10,000, New Zealand's Jewish community was never big enough to be a bubble. Yet as the Gaza war continues, its members say they are increasingly finding collective strength through their Jewishness. The first of three special reports