A statement on the ongoing situation in occupied Palestine – the failure of the New Zealand Government to respond appropriately, and the ethical obligations of nurses to respond to the attacks on healthcare workers.
OUTLIER - RECOIGNITION OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE
1. The recent decision by the coalition government not to recognise Palestine makes Aotearoa New Zealand a complete outlier on the world stage. Presently, at least 157 countries formally recognise the State of Palestine. With the exception of the USA, all of our close allies recognise Palestine.
2. Aotearoa New Zealand has a well-deserved reputation as a country that stands for human rights, upholds social justice, and respects international law.
3. Not recognising Palestine at this time not only rewards the current government of Israel for its horrendous war crimes committed across Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but it also harms our international reputation and puts our country on the wrong side of history.
DELIBERATE TARGETING OF NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE WORKERS
4. Aside from the general reaction to the genocide and war crimes occurring in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, nurses and other health professionals have additional reasons to be aghast at the actions by Israel.
5. Israel’s war crimes include deliberately targeting and killing approximately 2,000 healthcare workers in Gaza. Additionally, Israel has detained and reportedly tortured huge numbers of healthcare workers and intentionally destroyed health infrastructure, targeting scores of hospitals and other health services.
6. In doing so, they have openly violated vital international conventions and laws designed to protect healthcare workers and health systems.
7. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) recently condemned all attacks on nurses, other health professionals, patients and healthcare facilities as gross violations of fundamental human rights and international law. The ICN has expressed “solidarity with nurses and health care workers who, with selflessness and extraordinary courage, continue to provide care under the most dangerous and difficult conditions”.
8. Nurses and their representative bodies have an ethical and moral obligation to advocate against these atrocities, not only because of the killing of nurses by the Israeli military forces, but also due to all atrocities being committed against the people of Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The killing of nurses and other health workers, as well as the deliberate destruction of health infrastructure, by Israel provides additional grounds for advocacy by nurses and their representative bodies.
9. Recognising the State of Palestine at this time is a small but meaningful action that all governments should be taking. Speaking out against and isolating South Africa when it was an apartheid state eventually worked. Doing the same now with Israel is vital; Israel’s government has made itself into a pariah state and it must be treated as such. Israel should be sanctioned like any other rogue state. Hopefully in due course Netanyahu and his colleagues will face justice before the International Criminal Court for their war crimes and crimes against humanity.
NURSES SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND Te Kāhui Tapuhi o Aotearoa & Te Uniana o NSNZ
A statement on the ongoing situation in occupied Palestine – the failure of the New Zealand Government to respond appropriately, and the ethical obligations of nurses to respond to the attacks on healthcare workers.
OUTLIER - RECOIGNITION OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE
1. The recent decision by the coalition government not to recognise Palestine makes Aotearoa New Zealand a complete outlier on the world stage. Presently, at least 157 countries formally recognise the State of Palestine. With the exception of the USA, all of our close allies recognise Palestine.
2. Aotearoa New Zealand has a well-deserved reputation as a country that stands for human rights, upholds social justice, and respects international law.
3. Not recognising Palestine at this time not only rewards the current government of Israel for its horrendous war crimes committed across Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but it also harms our international reputation and puts our country on the wrong side of history.
DELIBERATE TARGETING OF NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE WORKERS
4. Aside from the general reaction to the genocide and war crimes occurring in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, nurses and other health professionals have additional reasons to be aghast at the actions by Israel.
5. Israel’s war crimes include deliberately targeting and killing approximately 2,000 healthcare workers in Gaza. Additionally, Israel has detained and reportedly tortured huge numbers of healthcare workers and intentionally destroyed health infrastructure, targeting scores of hospitals and other health services.
6. In doing so, they have openly violated vital international conventions and laws designed to protect healthcare workers and health systems.
7. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) recently condemned all attacks on nurses, other health professionals, patients and healthcare facilities as gross violations of fundamental human rights and international law. The ICN has expressed “solidarity with nurses and health care workers who, with selflessness and extraordinary courage, continue to provide care under the most dangerous and difficult conditions”.
8. Nurses and their representative bodies have an ethical and moral obligation to advocate against these atrocities, not only because of the killing of nurses by the Israeli military forces, but also due to all atrocities being committed against the people of Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The killing of nurses and other health workers, as well as the deliberate destruction of health infrastructure, by Israel provides additional grounds for advocacy by nurses and their representative bodies.
9. Recognising the State of Palestine at this time is a small but meaningful action that all governments should be taking. Speaking out against and isolating South Africa when it was an apartheid state eventually worked. Doing the same now with Israel is vital; Israel’s government has made itself into a pariah state and it must be treated as such. Israel should be sanctioned like any other rogue state. Hopefully in due course Netanyahu and his colleagues will face justice before the International Criminal Court for their war crimes and crimes against humanity.
NURSES SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND Te Kāhui Tapuhi o Aotearoa & Te Uniana o NSNZ