Robert Patman: Otago University Professor for International Relations on whether NZ needs to make a proper statement on Palestine

One international relations expert says New Zealand needs to make up its mind on Palestinian statehood fairly quickly. 

Australia today promised to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.

Our Government says it's still weighing options - and will decide over the next month. 

Otago University's Robert Patman says it'll be pondering whether recognition will strengthen or weaken Hamas.

But he says New Zealand should not dilly-dally. 

"I thin there's a danger of mismatch between the gravity of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and the New Zealand Government's 'wait-and-see' response."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon. Australia has announced it will recognize the State
of Palestine next month of the un. In response, Winston
Peters has said that our government will be spending the
next few weeks also considering whether to do the same.
Robert Patman is a professor of international relations at Otaga
University High.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Robert, I'll get afternoon, healler, should we also do this?
I think, well, it's at the moment. My understanding in
the New Zealand position is we're weighing up what to
do and it's not you know, and this has been
the position of the New Zealand governments for some time.
I think there's a danger of mismatch between the gravity

(00:34):
of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and
New Zealand's government's wait and see response. And you know,
a number of our allies are committed to recognizing the
Palestinian state. More than one hundred and fifty countries have
already recognized the principal of Palestinian statehood. And the situation

(00:58):
is extremely grave at the moment, and it's quite clear
that the net Nahou government does not want a Palestinians state.
Mister net for the last twenty five years has opposed
the idea of political self determination for the Palestinians. It's
also a strategic issue. Does it weaken Hamas by continuing

(01:22):
this military conflict, this military onslaught against them? Or do
you weaken their position by giving the majority of the
Palestinians who do not like Hamas a peaceful pathway to
achieving their national aspirations of a state. So it is
a strategic issue as well. It's not just a question
of political judgment. My fear is that we're missing in

(01:45):
the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Does recognizing a state make this war stop? Does it
make the aid delivery happen?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
It doesn't, but it does send a message to Israel's
public that what's being done in its name is being
widely opposed by the rest of the world. Mister net
and Yahoo at the moment has never said since the
appalling terrorist attack of the seventh October, he was very
reluctant to say what the day after looks like? What

(02:15):
we now know what the day after looks like, It
looks like making gals are inhabitable and then near Palestinian
population being expelled. He hasn't. The Israeli leader has recently
announced that military a military offensive will resume in Galza City,
which is currently inhabited by close to a million Palestinians,

(02:36):
many of whom have already been relocated ten times. Yeah,
and that's going to have such a military campaign in
such a densely populated era is going to kill many
thousands of people.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Listen. Robert does, though, recognizing a Palestinian state not actually
strengthen Hamasa's hand and make it least likely to stop
this war.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
I don't think so, because the fact of the matter
is that so trying to obliterate Hamas is purblicically bolstering them.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
I mean, in a sense, Israel is not more secure
after twenty two months of targeting Hamas. And the problem
is it hasn't targeted Hamas very well. It's killed a
lot of palestine yous who detest Hamas, and more than
sixty one thousand have been killed. This can't go on that.
The thing that really worries me, Heather, is that New

(03:25):
Zealand has always believed in the rule of law internationally
and the institution which has formal responsibility for stopping a
situation like this. The UN Security Council is impotent and marginalized,
and I do think that New Zealand should be leading
the charge along with Australia in countries like Canada and

(03:47):
other small and middle powers to say we can't have
an impotent un Security Council.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
We have restrictly, We'll have you to leave it there, Robert,
I really appreciate you, expecting as always, Robert Patman, International
Relations Professor, OTAGA Universe. For more from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive,
listen live to News Talks at b from four pm weekdays,
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