By Greg Bouwer on J-Wire…
New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, has formalised a “Friendly City” partnership with Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mayor Tory Whanau signed the agreement on August 6, with Ramallah Mayor Issa Kassis joining virtually.
The move was framed as a gesture of cultural cooperation and peace, but it carries significant political and moral implications.
Ramallah is not simply a cultural centre. It is governed by the PA — an unelected regime that hasn’t held national elections since 2006, jails dissidents, persecutes LGBTQ+ individuals, and pays stipends to the families of terrorists. The PA also refused to condemn Hamas’s October 7 massacre and continues to glorify violence against Israelis.
Read the full story on J-Wire HERE and read Radio NZ’s story HERE.
