The Israeli state has broken the hard-won ceasefire on Gaza and recommenced its campaign of bombing the Palestinian population of the overcrowded Strip. Israel’s refusal to move to phase two of the January ceasefire agreement has been followed by a fresh and devastating campaign of airstrikes. Already over 400 souls have been added to the death toll of over 48,000 (primarily women and children) since the start of the war.
While the population of Northern Gaza – only recently returned to their demolished homes – are sheltering in the flimsiest of tents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised that the renewed and devastating attacks on Gaza are “only the beginning” and that from now on, “negotiations will only take place under fire”.
The military demolition of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure – including family homes, schools, hospitals and universities – and the genocidal scale of civilian deaths make the current time a truly pivotal moment in the history of our relationship with the Middle East.
At times like this, those of us who strive for peace, justice and human rights can feel powerless to effect change. But, thanks to a members’ bill sitting in our parliament awaiting selection, we can make a difference.
The Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, submitted in December last year a members’ bill on sanctioning Israel. Normally, members’ bills can only be debated if selected by the ballot system whereby:
Each bill in the ballot is numbered and assigned a matching house token. These tokens are then placed into “an old biscuit tin, purchased for the purpose in the early 1990s”, and an invited politically-neutral person draws the tokens from the tin.
However, there is another way for a members’ bill to proceed. Standing Order 288 allows MPs (only those who are not ministers or undersecretaries) to indicate their support for a members’ bill, and it only takes 62 MPs to support a bill.
Chlöe Swarbrick has indicated that MPs from Te Pati Māori and the Labour party have pledged to support the bill. In effect the bill now needs the support of just six backbench government MPs to be brought to Parliament for a first reading.
And that is our opportunity for action. If your local MP is a government backbencher, or you know a government backbench list MP, we urge you to contact them as soon as possible and ask them to pledge support for the bill.
The conscience of parliament
Point out that this is not a party-political issue but a matter of conscience. It is a matter of principles, values and human rights. It is a matter of fairness, justice, and our shared belief in a rules-based international order, a belief that needs to be bolstered now more than ever before.
By supporting the members bill they are not endorsing it. They are simply recognising the clear and present danger to the civilian population in Gaza and the West Bank, and that a parliamentary debate must he held.
“Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”
John Stuart Mill, 1867
If you do write to your MP please let us know by using the contact form, we would also love to hear if they replied. For some guidance on writing to your MP see this advice from Justice for Palestine.
Neil Ballantyne is a founding member of Justice for Palestine. In 2019, Neil was the inaugural winner of the ANZASW John Fry Memorial Award for Quality and Innovation in Social Work for his work as a Palestinian human rights defender.
One reply on “Call to action for Gaza”
Kia Ora Neil, great piece as usual. Some might find this podcast interesting – listened to it over the weekend – as to the price some pay for speaking up for what is right.
Hopefully social workers in the country can, at least, write to the MP.