Truth.

The First Casualty Of War.

Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC), was an ancient Greek playwright that many consider the father of Tragedy. His plays survive alongside those of Sophocles and Euripides, who you probably mostly know from a joke in The Young Ones.

Do you remember? You rippa these trousers, you buyya these trousers? No? Maybe just me then. But all of us know the quote about the first casualty of war being tragedy. Or as Aeschylus put it two and a half thousand years ago - “In war, truth is the first casualty.”

I promised myself when I started writing this newsletter that I would always endeavour to tell the truth, even if it might get me into trouble.

When I wrote my first piece about the situation in Gaza it was with the knowledge that I might lose a few subscribers, and so it proved, but I did it anyway. Quite frankly as exciting as it is speculating as to what might be happening behind closed doors in coalition discussions here, there is no more important subject to be writing about.

So here I am again. Up front I’ll apologise to anyone who is offended by this piece, my intention is certainly not to cause that but sometimes the truth is offensive, and what is occurring right now in Gaza is incredibly offensive to anyone who values human life.

But this isn’t another piece on the situation, you can read that one here if you’d like to:

This one is about our ability, in a state of “war”, to stand up and tell the truth, no matter how much some people do not want certain things to be said.

It’s not about who started it, rather more so it’s about attempts to stop it.

It’s not about who is right, or who is wrong, or picking sides. I already picked a side and I suspect most of you have picked the same one.

I’m 100% on the side of stopping the killing. No ifs, no buts, just stop the killing!

You wouldn’t think that that most human of responses, to want the tragic madness to stop, would be controversial, but apparently it is. Whether it’s in the US, the UK, in Israel, or even here.

There are things that I think we should be wary of saying. I do not buy into referring to the Israelis as Nazis. I appreciate that in the end the people are still dead whether killed by bombs or other means, but it’s too much to me. Where would it stop? The Americans killed an enormous number of civilians in Vietnam, are we to call them Nazis too? I know some of you are nodding, but most of you won’t be.

I can’t bring myself to compare the actions of Israel to that, despite what they are doing. Doing so doesn’t help the situation. But there is something else being said that is equally offensive and unhelpful, and that is the constant labelling of anyone who speaks out with that most awful description of being anti semitic.

The most evil place in the history of mankind. Snow covered railroad tracks leading to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland in 1945. (Stanislaw Mucha/AP)

There is anti-semitism in the world, and I’m not going to deny that we will see anti semitic acts in response to what it happening. But it’s not those repugnant people I’m talking about. I’m referring to those who advocate for peace and who are tarnished with an attack that is awful and intended to silence.

A call for a ceasefire to stop the violence is not anti semitic. Support for Palestinians to be able to live freely from the river to the sea is not anti semitic. Criticizing the actions of the Israeli state when they warrant it - is not anti semitic.

This week in the UK, Imran Hussain, the Labour MP for Bradford East, resigned over his party’s position on the conflict.

“Over recent weeks, it has become clear that my view on the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza differs substantially from the position you have adopted,” Hussain said in a resignation letter to the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, published on social media.

“A ceasefire is essential to ending the bloodshed, to ensuring that enough aid can pass into Gaza and reach those most in need, and to help ensure the safe return of the Israeli hostages.”

The official position of Labour under the cowardly Starmer is that the party supports “humanitarian pauses”, but not a ceasefire. So what does that mean? We take a quick break, bring on the water boys and bandage up some of the wounded, before we blow the whistle for the bombing to recommence?

Meanwhile in the US Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in the House of Representatives, was censured for her comments. Democrats joining with Republicans to deliver a punishment one step short of expulsion. Her crime? Using the phrase “from the river to the sea”, which is not deemed acceptable.

“I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is anti semitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”

She also said she had condemned the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens several times.

Tlaib, who was first elected in 2018 and is a prominent member of “the Squad” of progressive female lawmakers, grew emotional as she said: “I can’t believe I have to say this, but Palestinian people are not disposable.”

Much of the frothing fury against her in the House was due to the use of this slogan. One that, depending on who you ask, either calls for the freedom to live peacefully, or is a challenge to the current Israeli state, which some claim is anti semitic.

Rep. Ilhan Omar comforts Rep. Rashida Tlaib as she speaks on the House floor on Nov. 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

It asks for “freedom from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea”. Apparently the interpretation of “freedom” is the issue, and what lead to the Congresswoman being censured in “the land of the free”. Naw, don’t you just love that first amendment?

The best explanation of “freedom”, I could find was from Nimer Sultany, a lecturer in law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, who said it expresses “the need for equality for all inhabitants of historic Palestine”.

“Those who support apartheid and Jewish supremacy will find the egalitarian chant objectionable,” Sultany, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, told Al Jazeera.

Some of the worst intimidation we have seen against those speaking out against the killing has been in Israel itself. A few days ago I saw footage of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) members shoving and assaulting Orthodox Jews - their crime hanging a flag. Not one supporting Hamas, or even talking of the actions taking place, but simply a Palestinian flag they had flown in peaceful protest and solidarity.

Of course we’re not immune. Since the weekend there have been calls from that great defender of the rights of minorities, David Seymour, for Chlöe Swarbrick to apologise following use of the chant “from the river to the sea” at a protest here in Aotearoa.

Green Party MPs protesting last Saturday. https://www.instagram.com/chloe.swarbrick/

Let’s pause for a moment to catch our breath at the stunning hypocrisy from a man who literally said he wanted the Ministry of Pacific people to be blown up, and didn’t see fit to apologise.

Chlöe, very smartly, said that she took her lead from both Israeli and Palestinian peace activists. Telling RNZ:

“I recognise that there are different views on what this statement means, but I also think it is really important for us to point out that this is a purposeful distraction that is being used the world over to shut down peace activists from Jewish and Palestinian backgrounds.”

Swarbrick said she abhorred and decried “barbarous death and destruction” and anti semitic notions.

“I believe that it is deeply anti semitic to conflate the actions of the Israeli government with Jewish people, not the least when Jewish peace activists worldwide are protesting these actions.”

In my opinion Chlöe is one of the most important politicians in this country. She is incredibly well informed and has the courage of her convictions.

Compare her to the mindless Gimps, the yes-men and yes-women that will be flooding into the government benches when parliament reconvenes. Not one of them has an ounce of the sheer intellect, integrity, and especially courage, of the Green Party MP.

Her voice, though without the power of being in government, will be incredibly important over the next few years. Inexperienced, under prepared, ministers of dubious ability and morals are going to have nightmares over being questioned by her. Not snug in their taxpayer funded beds, but on the floor at question time.

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My apologies for being so crass, but if you’d like to take up the offer of a free month of paid access to Nick’s Kōrero, it’s available until tomorrow.

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I’m not in the slightest bit surprised, but I am delighted, that Chlöe won’t back down, as snivelling cowards like Seymour would have her do.

I don’t want to see people deliberately antagonized but quite frankly if there are individuals who are more excited about the use of this slogan, than the deaths taking place in Gaza, then they should reassess their priorities.

By all means criticize what I’ve said. Unsubscribe if you must, I hope you won’t. But please don’t call me anti semitic, because I’m not. And neither is anyone else asking for a ceasefire and an end to this senseless killing.

People flee following Israeli air strikes on a neighbourhood in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Nov. 6, 2023. Getty Images.

All people, Palestinians, Israelis, should have the right to live safely in peace. The politicians they elect should be doing everything possible they can to make that happen. To achieve an enduring peace.

This next bit is directed at the Israelis, because the fact is they are the ones doing almost all of the killing now, and only they can stop it.

You cannot bomb your way to peace. Every Palestinian you kill will result in another family motivated by hate and revenge.

Are you planning to kill them all? That’s a serious question because I can’t see what Israel’s exit strategy is here.

To drive those living in Gaza into a smaller and smaller area? To make their lives ever more miserable until they somehow surrender and live peacefully? You are pushing them ever more into a situation where they have nothing left to lose.

You told the Palestinians to leave northern Gaza so you could level that, and now you bomb them in the south as they flee. Where does it end? How many deaths will be enough to sate your revenge? You’ve already killed approximately seven Palestinians for every Israeli killed by Hamas, how many will be enough? Ten? A hundred?

Palestinians fleeing Gaza City toward the south on November 8, 2023. (MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)

And if whatever that number is, isn’t enough, then what?

Even putting aside every other reason there is not to kill vulnerable, essentially defenceless, innocent people. If you look at it from a cold hard reality - every Palestinian you kill takes you further away from an enduring peace.

Ceasefire, just stop the killing - there has been more than enough already.