By Michael Nielson on the NZ Herald…
A Green Party bid for Parliament to debate recognising Palestine as a state has been blocked, a move the party says questions stated support for a two-state solution.
Greens foreign affairs spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman tabled the motion in the House, asking MPs to recognise and support “the right of Palestine to self-determination and statehood, and recognise the State of Palestine among our community of nations”.
It comes amid escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, which governs the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
At least 200 Palestinians have been killed in the week of airstrikes, including 59 children and 35 women, with some 1300 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Ten people in Israel, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier, have been killed in the ongoing rocket attacks launched from civilian areas in Gaza towards civilian areas in Israel.
Ahead of question time today, Act, National and Labour all said they would not support it – it needed support of all MPs to be debated.
Ghahraman said the motion was designed to recognise the “harrowing violence” while looking forward towards lasting peace.
Read the full article on the NZ Herald here.
Read the National Party’s statement on why it opposed the Green Party motion here.
