Foreign Minister Winston Peters is to give a ministerial statement to the House today in the wake of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Other parties will then have the opportunity to respond.
You can follow all the latest developments on our live updates page.
Winston Peters’ full statement:
Mr Speaker,
The situation in the Middle East is of the gravest concern.
No New Zealander wants to wake up to news of more bombing, more strife and more misery. Yet, tragically, for the last two years, that is what we have seen: a relentless and remorseless series of events which have greatly destabilised the region and gravely harmed its people and their sense of security and prosperity.
New Zealanders are scattered across every part of the world – and so of course our minds turn in the current crisis to our people in harm’s way. Ensuring their safety is an absolute priority of this Government.
New Zealand is a very long way from the Middle East. Unlike our own region, the Pacific, New Zealand’s influence in the Middle East and our ability to affect the trajectory of events is modest. Nevertheless, this Government, continuing New Zealand’s long tradition as a responsible international citizen, has pursued an active foreign policy based on engagement with all – via an intensive programme of Prime Ministerial and Ministerial travel.
We have sought to understand the perspectives of all involved in the Middle East crisis – and to present a clear New Zealand position. That’s why we travelled to Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia; why we’ve met and discussed these issues with Israel, Iran, the Palestinians, the Gulf states, the Europeans, Australia, the United States, our Asian partners, and many others. And that’s why we have resisted the pressure from some to expel from New Zealand the Ambassadors of some Middle Eastern countries. We prefer diplomacy to moral outrage.
Indeed, ours is a foreign policy of collecting all the facts, hearing all the perspectives, and applying a careful, reasonable, cool-headed approach to the situation – not kneejerk reaction and simplistic moral posturing.
The New Zealand Government’s response to what is happening in the Middle East should be guided by two questions: how can we act to get our people out of harm’s way?; and how can we best contribute to an international debate which helps push the situation towards de-escalation and peace not further disintegration and despair?
Our first priority is the safety of New Zealanders. Our advice to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel remains to leave if and when they can find a safe route. The Government is committed to supporting New Zealanders caught up in this crisis. Since the beginning of the conflict, MFAT has provided 24/7 consular support to New Zealanders in Israel and Iran, and to their families back home in New Zealand. It will continue to do so.
As we announced on Sunday, we have sent a C-130 aircraft to ensure that we have the resource available to aid in evacuations from the region for those that want to leave. We are also in discussions with commercial airlines to see if they can help. We encourage all New Zealanders in the region to make sure they register with SafeTravel so we can have an accurate picture of who may need assistance and where. We are also monitoring carefully the economic impacts back home of what is happening in the Middle East.
We note, and welcome, positive signals in the last few hours about a potential ceasefire. New Zealand strongly supports all efforts toward diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. An enduring solution depends on de-escalation and diplomacy.
As we have repeatedly said, the Middle East is not a situation of black and white; of good and evil; of just one bad actor. Those in this House who rush to condemn or call out one actor or other – or who demand that the Government do the same – should pause to reflect on whether they are seeking to understand and influence what is going on, or simply virtue-signal about it.
New Zealand has consistently called for peaceful resolution of this latest conflict. Diplomacy must always be the first resort, not the last. We have been clear to all our partners, and to all parties to the conflict, that military action must end and parties must return to the negotiating table to find a lasting resolution.
New Zealand has a long, proud history of standing up against nuclear weapons. Our concerns about Iran’s aspirations for nuclear weapons are longstanding. Iran has a proven pattern of non-compliance with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. And Iran has made threats against other countries in the volatile Middle East.
We end this statement by noting what New Zealand is looking for in the Middle East, and what we oppose.
We want de-escalation and dialogue. We want a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living in security and peace side-by-side. We want humanitarian aid to get to those who need it. Ultimately, we want peace.
And what we do not want is New Zealanders in harm’s way. We do not want ever escalating rounds of military action. We do not want a nuclear Iran. We do not want Hamas holding hostages and terrorising Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike. And we do not want Israel occupying Palestinian land.
And, ultimately, we do not want another generation of young people in the Middle East, scarred by conflict, replicating the enmities of today and yesterday. This cycle of conflict, now generations old, must end.
Mr Speaker, the Middle East is a long way away from New Zealand and our influence is limited. But the Government is committed to doing all we can to help New Zealanders affected and to help contribute to de-escalation and diplomacy.
