Chris Hipkins: Labour leader voices disappointment with the Government's refusal to recognise a Palestinian state

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has been quick to confirm his party would recognise Palestine as a state if Labour leads the Government after next year’s election.

On Saturday, while at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced New Zealand would not recognise the state of Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

Hipkins says Israel's actions are 'unacceptable' and not recognising Palestine sends Israel a message that New Zealand is okay with the 'unfolding genocide.'

"New Zealand cannot stand by and cannot turn our backs on what's unfolding in Palestine. It is unfolding genocide, people are being starved to death."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The government is still coming under pressure for the decision
at the weekend not to recognize a Palestinian state. The
Israeli ambassador said the decision SAIDs a very clear message
to hum Us. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark says, we're
on the wrong side of history. Chris Hopkins is the
leader of the Labor Party.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hi, you behire there?

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Would you have done it?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yes? Absolutely, It's time for New Zealand to take a
principled stance and recognize Palestine as our friends in Australia, Canada,
the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the world have been doing.
Why Ultimately, New Zealand cannot stand by and cannot turn
our backs on unfolding in Palestine. It is an unfolding genocide.

(00:38):
People are being starved to death. What Israel is doing
is totally unacceptable. And not recognizing Palestine simply sending a
message to Israel that we are okay with what they're doing.
We shouldn't be.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Yeah, but recognizing a Palestinian state, and you know this
is not going to stop what Israel's doing, is it.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well, it's being part of an international community that's taking
a principled stance. The two state pollution into reality.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
What's the point in a principled stance when there are
things you could actually do to stop it, to stop
the war and stop the famine, right putting food in
those kids' mouths, punishing Israel with sanctions that would actually
make a difference. This is just a symbolic gesture. It
makes no difference.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
We need to do all of those other things as well.
The government haven't agreed to sanctions against Israel as our
well to the extent that some of our friends around
the world have been doing. We need to do that
as well. We've got to send a very clear message
to Israel that this is not acceptable. I absolutely defended
Israel's right to defend itself following those horrific attacks in
twenty twenty three undertaken by hammaf and I continue to

(01:41):
defend their right to defend themselves. But this is going
way too far.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Why didn't you do it when you had the chance?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
We were going to ultimately we didn't before the election.
We had made it clear that we would do so
after the election.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
But why didn't you do it before the election? Loot
because that was the weirdest thing. It was weird then
and it's weird. Now you stood there and you had
a majority. You guys could have done it just like that,
but you stood there and said only if you vote us,
and will we recognize the state of Palestine.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Why. It's something that I had been looking at since
I took over from to Sinda as Prime Minister. Ultimately
made the decision not to do that, following the Hamaster text, well,
following the Humusa texts. I didn't think that that was
the right message to send at that time. Why well,
because ultimately I don't. I absolutely condemned via text on
Israel and it would have.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Been seen to be rewarding hermus.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Then Ryan, Yeah, and I don't think it would be
now it.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Would be now they say so, Well, at the.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Moment, we're rewarding Israel for doing something which is undoubtedly
in violation of an international law. I don't think that's
the kind of company that we should be aiming to keep.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
All Right, Chippie, thanks very much, appreciate you. Ti'm Chris Hepkins,
Labor Party leader. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive,
listen live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,