New Zealand’s Anti-Israel Hotline Sparks Outrage and Calls for Action

A new hotline established by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) in New Zealand has ignited widespread controversy and condemnation. The hotline, intended to track Israeli soldiers and reservists visiting the country, was announced this week, raising concerns among politicians, Jewish community groups, and human rights advocates.

The hotline’s stated purpose is to identify Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand and notify them that they are “not welcome,” with PSNA labeling them as participants in “genocide.” The announcement included a call to “track them down” and has been met with sharp backlash, including accusations of incitement and antisemitism.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters criticized the initiative as “extreme totalitarian behavior,” calling the campaign “an outrageous show of fascism, racism, and encouragement of violence.” He decried the hotline as a form of vigilantism that targets individuals based on their nationality, warning of dangerous consequences if it were to continue.

ACT Party MP Simon Court also expressed alarm, accusing Minto and the PSNA of “undisguised antisemitic behavior.” Court noted that the campaign could turn into a “real-life version of the Hunger Games,” where Israeli tourists and citizens could be singled out and harassed due to their nationality.

International and Domestic Reactions

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has voiced concerns over the hotline’s potential to cause harm to Israeli and Jewish individuals living in or visiting the country. While the commission stated the campaign did not meet the threshold for unlawful speech, Chief Commissioner Stephen Rainbow urged for the hotline’s closure, emphasizing that “Israeli and Jewish people have as much right as everyone else in New Zealand to be safe, secure, and free from harassment.”

Jewish advocacy groups have also condemned the hotline, with the Israel Institute of New Zealand (IINZ) calling it “abhorrent discrimination and incitement.” Juliet Moses of the New Zealand Jewish Council (NZJC) labeled Minto’s actions as incitement, arguing that the campaign unfairly targeted Israelis based on their nationality and military service.

The Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem, an organization of indigenous activists who support Israel, further condemned the hotline, drawing parallels to Nazi-era Europe and calling for the rejection of divisive and hateful rhetoric.

PSNA’s Response and Call for Action

Despite the outrage, PSNA and its National Chair, John Minto, have defended the campaign, insisting that it is part of holding Israel accountable for alleged war crimes. Minto rejected accusations of antisemitism, stating that the campaign was not targeting Jews but rather Israeli soldiers. He argued that such actions were necessary to put pressure on Israel to end its policies in Palestine.

PSNA has also called for the suspension of visas for Israeli soldiers, with Minto citing the 2019 visa-waiver agreement that allows Israeli soldiers to enter New Zealand for up to three months without a visa. The organization’s calls for nationwide rallies and protests have further fueled the controversy, with critics claiming that the hotline and the broader campaign incite hatred and could lead to real-world harm.