Heather du Plessis-Allan: We don't need Chlöe Swarbrick creating fear among Jewish and Palestinian communities

I'm not about to tell Chlöe Swarbrick that she shouldn't have used that phrase.

Right-minded people don't make a habit of policing what people say, I don't think it crosses the line at all or incites people into violence, so it's not going to break the law and she can technically say it if she want to.

But she might want to really consider whether she wants to be saying that phrase.

Chlöe, as a New Zealand-based politician, is probably not going to change what's happening in Israel. So heading off to the domain in Auckland and chanting that phrase is probably not going to affect what's happening in the Middle East.

But it does have the power to affect what's happening here in New Zealand.

We have got both Palestinian and Jewish communities in the region who are hurting, and many members of those communities will be quite angry about the situation at the moment.

You don't have to look far to see evidence of that. The graffiti on the fence on the synagogue in Epsom that popped up in the news today? That's some evidence.

The anger at the pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday? That's obvious evidence.

The apparent boycotting of Jewish businesses in New Zealand? That's evidence.

You've got the level of vitriol on social media, which is genuinely surprising to some people when they weigh in on the subject and see what comes back at them.

People are clearly feeling strongly about this, and what they don't need is a political leader in this country with a high profile jumping on stage and whipping up that anger or that fear.

That's exactly what Chlöe did by using that phrase. She might argue she didn't whip up any anger and we can't argue against her because we can't measure it- but I can tell you for certain that she whipped up fear.

The Jewish community, who heard what she said, had members saying that it made them feel scared. That is objectively the opposite of calming things down- which is what Chlöe should be using her position for.

Chlöe doesn't need to apologise if she doesn't want to, doesn't have to back down if she doesn't want to, she can defend the phrase and she can keep saying it- but if she cared about the New Zealand Jewish and Palestinian communities, she shouldn't say it.

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