John Minto: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa chair on the impact of recognising Palestinian statehood

Wider global recognition of Palestine is within sight - but it's unclear how much weight that will carry.

The UK and France plan to join many national already recognising Palestinian statehood in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire. 

Our Government has joined others supporting a two-state solution and is open to recognising Palestine - in time.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa chair, John Minto, says Israel has made it almost impossible to form a Palestinian state.

"All Palestinians have got left is a piece of Swiss cheese, so you've got all of these Israeli settlements on their land connected by roads which Palestinians are not allowed to drive on."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Ever do for ze Ellen now on Gaza. Our government
has not gone as far as the UK in threatening
to recognize the state of Palestine. Instead, they've signed a
declaration saying they are willing to consider it. Here's Winston Peters.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
New Zealand has consistently said that we're willing to recognize
Palestine and that is a question of when, not if.
But we do need to see progress on some of
the fundamental issues relating to a Palestine state's legitimacy and viability.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
John Minto is the co chair of the Palestine Solidarity
networking with US.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Hello, John, I'll kill the heather.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Is this move from kir Starmer actually going to make
a difference?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, no, I don't think it will. I think recognizing
Palestinian state is something which we should do, all Western
countries should have done a long time ago. But it
won't bring peace in the Middle East. And it's important
to say that. I think, you know what's happened over
the last the last thirty or forty years is the

(00:59):
public opinion of Palestinians and I think as Raedi's that
are genuinely looking for a solution is to say, look,
two states is not going to work. It should be
instead a single state where everybody has equal rights. And
I think that's what what Israel's done, of course, is
they've made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a
Palestinian state to be formed, because in the Palestinian territory

(01:22):
of the West Bank, they've built over two hundred illegal
as Raeti settlements of Palestinian land, and so all Palestinians
have got left as a piece of Swiss cheese. So
you've got all of these Israeli settlements on their land
connected by roads, and we're roads which Palestinians are not
allowed to drive on, and so Palestinians are left with

(01:45):
just these tiny little pockets of land, as I say,
like a piece of Swiss cheese.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Doesn't it strike you as odd to be using something
like a state, which I don't feel like it should
be used like a bargaining chip like this is quite
a bizarre thing to do, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well. I'm pleased have said that because when I first
heard it, he's threatening Israel with a Palestine in state.
That is absolutely bizarre. So I quite agree. I agree
with your characterization.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, now you know what we've observed and we've been
talking about this actually in the office a bit lately.
We have not seen it. Like what is happening in
Gaza is more horrific than at any time since since
Hamas launched the attacks on Israel. But at the time
there were all these protests, and now the protests have
dried up. Why don't you people protest about this anymore?

Speaker 3 (02:30):
There are protests going on here that every single week
in everything seems around New Zealand, everywhere down Queen Street
in christ Church in Well they are and.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
In the odd days, back in the old days, like
last year, there were all those big protests that were
on the domain and so he's still doing that.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah, they're still happening at this time. I mean, they
haven't had the huge numbers they hit earlier on but
that definitely they're still there and the visibility of this
issue is really high. Oh no, I think, well, I
just think it's inevitable and I've been surprised that that
they've gone on as long as they have. But what's
happening now is that people that are increasing in size

(03:10):
because people can see the horrific, just the horror of
what's happening before our eyes. The vicious cruelty of the
Israeli occupation, and it's something I've never seen in my lifetime,
and so many of us older people, you know, we
look back and you know, I mean, it's been horrific

(03:31):
for Palestinians all the way through, but in fact what's
happening now is just beyond imagination.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
John, Thanks for your time, John Minto, Palestine Solidarity Network
coachib

Speaker 2 (03:39):
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