Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand has joined Australia, the UK, Canada and Norway in sanctioning two Israeli cabinet ministers for what Foreign Minister Winston Peters said are acts to deliberately “undermine peace and security” in the Middle East.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are now banned from entering New Zealand – a rare diplomatic move, which drew formal protest from Israel and criticism from the United States.
The pair are accused of inciting violence, backing the expansion of Israeli settlements, and obstructing a two-state solution. Smotrich has defended the eviction of Palestinians and called Arabs “Nazis,” while Ben-Gvir described the Gaza war as a “chance” for Jewish resettlement and rejected all calls for a ceasefire.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon backed the sanctions over the Israeli ministers’ “extremist rhetoric.” Luxon pushed back against US criticism, saying he is confident the sanctions are “the right course of action for us,” while adding that New Zealand has “huge respect” for American efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
He said New Zealand had already taken action against “extremist Israeli settlers” and confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would face arrest if he entered the country due to an ICC warrant.
Luxon also commented on Israel’s pre-emptive strike on Iran, calling it “a really unwelcome development” and warning that “the risk of miscalculation is high. That region does not need any more military action and risk associated with that.”
Legal expert Anton Moiseienko noted the sanctions fall under the “Magnitsky” model, which targets individuals, not governments, for alleged rights abuses. The sanctions freeze any assets in New Zealand, prohibit financial support from New Zealanders, and impose an entry ban.
“Once someone is accused of human rights abuse by a credible government, banks worldwide may decide it’s no longer worth keeping them on the books,” Moiseienko said.
Read more over at Stuff and The Conversation
