Sympathy For The Devil
It wasn't only about sucking up to Trump.
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzlin’ you
Is the nature of my game
Songwriters: Mick Jagger / Keith Richards.
I’m starting to wonder if our non-recognition of Palestine was more than just sucking up to Trump. Some of our MPs seem rather keen on Israel at a time when that regime is engaged in genocide, and one of them thinks we shouldn’t even mention it.
The first rule of discussing Palestine.
As we know, the first rule when discussing Palestine is that whenever there is discussion of the mass murder occurring in Gaza, you have to prefix any criticism of Israel, no matter how grotesque or disproportionate their actions, with a recap of the events of October 7th.
As if that tragic event justifies the killing and starvation of civilians that is occurring and allows Israel to maintain their victimhood status despite most of the world seeing their role since that day, and long before it, as that of the aggressor.
October 7th is Israel’s September the 11th. Commemorating a terrible event but one in which reprisals have been astronomically high and for the most part directed against those who are entirely innocent.
Last night as we slept Israel recognised the second anniversary of that fateful day and there was no reciprocation of the first rule. There was no prefixing of discussion of October the 7th by also mentioning the enormous destruction wrought in Gaza.
Yesterday, some of our MPs showed that while they adhere strongly to that first rule of Palestine when discussing deaths in Gaza they too saw no reason to recognise the other side of the conflict and the fact that those who died on October 7th represent less than 2% of the deaths in the last two years.
Simeon’s thoughts and prayers.
There are an odd group of Christians, some call them Christofascists, who we have long associated with the US, and are now increasingly present in our politics.
Those who have taken the old testament thou shalt not and the evangelical, money is good, brand of religion but skipped the bits about Jesus. People who have empathy for those with Judeo-Christian beliefs but little regard for the worshippers of that other religion.
These people show a real affinity with Israel. People like Brian Tamaki with his message of Islamophobia, or your Minister of Health, Simeon Brown who was eager to reach out to those who have been doing the vast majority of the killing.
I wrote: Our thoughts are with the Israeli people? You’ve got to be kidding, and not a mention of Gaza, genocide, or the Palestinian people.
Willie said: “How can you hold to that point of view when Israel has slaughtered Palestinians at a ratio of around 60 to 1 ??? (Many of them children) I think it’s called overkill! The spokespeople of this present government are certainly the most disgusting group of Kiwis I have ever seen in my 76 years. I feel ashamed to my core!”
Allan wrote: “Simeon needs to read informed history about Israel and Palestine rather than simply echoing the propaganda and linguistic distortions of the Netanyahu government. If he read more he’d discover that Israel has committed more crimes against Palestinians than Palestinians have against Israelis.”
Others suggested Simeon learn about the history of oppression of the Palestinian people by Israel. The events of October the 7th didn’t come from nowhere. If you’d like to read more about that Frank Macskasy’s newsletter is worth a look:
Winston’s distraction.
Our Foreign Minister, Mr Peters, the man who represented us in front of the UN by saying it was not the time to recognise Palestine was preoccupied, and no doubt delighted to be talking about an act of vandalism at his house during a protest, which made him into the victim.
He knew who to blame. These protests weren’t down to his actions, according to Winston’s script of distraction it was all the fault of the Greens, and Chlöe in particular.
For her part the Green Party co-leader, said “We condemn attacks on people’s homes, and always have. We also condemn genocide, and ask that the government does the same.”
Winston and others latched on to the anti Green narrative and ran for with it for all they’re worth. Which incidentally isn’t much if you ask me.
You can see some of the toing and froing in this video from the NZ Herald:
While I have sympathy for the cause of those protesting, and clearly this act of vandalism had nothing to do with the Green Party, I do not think we should protest outside the homes of our politicians.
This incident was relatively harmless but with passions inflamed there is the possibility of violence as we’ve seen overseas. There ought to be a delineation between peaceful protest in the streets and the homes of our MPs, or who knows where things could lead.
Having said that there was some serious hypocrisy in the outrage of coalition MPs that was not present when Jacinda was coming under far greater attack. Or Benjamin, or Hana, or James Shaw.
No doubt many are happy for the focus to be shifted from their inaction. Forget the small group of protestors at Winston’s house a great many New Zealanders are unhappy with our inaction on Gaza, and what’s happening there is the point.
If Drunkle thinks a broken window is bad, he should see what’s been happening in Gaza.
Darien said of Winston in parliament yesterday, “He managed to make his statement on Palestine to Parliament all about him. Then two patsy questions to him about the broken window so he could have a rant about the Greens and radical lefties.”
Christian said, “If he took those feelings of being defiled and threatened , and multiplied them by a factor of a thousand , he would know what it feels like to be a five year old child in Gaza for one day.”
Simon says: Don’t mention the war.
While Winston was slandering the Greens and luxuriating in his mock outrage another coalition member was focussed on Israel.
MP for ACT, the freedom of speech party, and Himmler looky-likey, Simon Court, says let’s not call it Genocide, we might hurt Israeli feelings.
From Stuff:
ACT MP Simon Court has tried and failed in his bid to seemingly prevent MPs from using the word “genocide” in the debating chamber when referring to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Court raised the matter with Speaker Gerry Brownlee on Tuesday, saying the use of “genocide” risked denigrating the reputation of the House of Representatives.
Yeah nah - if anything has denigrated the reputation of the house it is the inaction of our government over Gaza.
Court said the term “genocide” was an “allegation” used to “spread such damaging information” about people from Israel.
Maybe take it up with the UN, Simon, because as far as they’re concerned the term genocide is accurately used to describe the actions of Israel.
So we have a Health Minister offering his thoughts to a regime undertaking genocide, a Foreign Minister playing silly finger pointing games in relation to one of the most important foreign events of our time, and a friend of Israel who wants us to stop calling the ethnic cleansing occuring in Gaza genocide.
Every day this government surprises me. Just when you think they couldn’t get any worse, they do.
Have a good Wednesday, all of you lovely people.
Ngā mihi,
Nick.
To end today, here’s The Big Push with the Stones classic, Sympathy For The Devil.
"The Labour leader says it’s time for Winston Peters to stop talking about himself, move on from the crowbar attack on his house, and focus on issues Kiwis care about."
Bang on, Chippy. It's time to concentrate on what matters —whether that's Gaza or the economy —not Winston's bloody window.
It's good to see such mature leadership from the Labour leader, as many other MPs seem to be running around like headless chickens, revelling in the distraction.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360847592/hipkins-urges-winston-move-and-dial-back-rhetoric-over-house-attack
Well, I'm not a believer any more, but I did go to Sunday school and Bible class growing up, and I doubt if Jesus would recognise Christianity should he return. I once said this on FB and was told, by someone I assumed was a MAGA, that Jesus wasn't a Christian because he was a Jew. Still trying to work a reply to that.