A new incarnation of the New Zealand-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group was launched this week at the Beehive in Wellington.
According to the Embassy of Israel website, Ambassador Dr. Itzhak Gerberg and Deputy Chief of Mission Kasa Bainesay-Harbor were welcomed to Parliament by the group’s chairman, National MP Alfred Ngaro, for the official launch of the group.
As part of the proceedings, Ngaro, accompanied by a group of National MPs, inaugurated the New Zealand-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group.
He was followed by Ambassador Gerberg who spoke about Israel and New Zealand’s shared liberal values. He also expressed the hope that the group will lead to closer collaboration between the two countries.
There have been earlier New Zealand-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Groups but their make-up tends to change along with changes in government.
Ngaro, who is a list MP based in Te Atatu and was a Minister in the last National led government, was also the chairman of the last version of the group.
Parliamentary Friendship Groups are informal and self-regulating groups of MPs that are intended to help deepen New Zealand’s relations with other countries and assist in promoting parliamentary democracy.
