New Zealand is set to join a US-led military exercise which will see the NZDF train beside the Israel Defence Force.
Opposition parties say the NZDF’s involvement with the exercise is proof the Government isn’t taking the Israel-Gaza war seriously.
Pro-Palestine activists and the Green Party are calling for a boycott of the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as Rimpac, given Israel’s involvement.
Defence Minister Judith Collins says it is important to attend Rimpac, and work alongside the other countries.
Why it matters
As the Israel-Hamas conflict has continued, Israel has faced mounting diplomatic pressure to agree to a ceasefire. Just this week, the US pushed for Israel and Hamas to agree to one - marking the first time the UN Security Council has been able to reach agreement. It was a 14-0 vote in favour, with one abstention - Russia.
The New Zealand Government has also called for a ceasefire, and has criticised the IDF for entering Rafah, labelling the attack “catastrophic” . Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said an offensive in Rafah would cause “massive civilian pain and suffering”. However, New Zealand did not impose sanctions or issue significant rebuke when the IDF did enter Rafah.
Both Israel and Hamas are facing legal challenges, brought at either the International Criminal Court (ICC) or International Court of Justice (ICJ).
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Israel’s international relationships have strained as the war in Gaza continues. Death tolls indicate more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Hamas launched a terrorist attack in Israel on October 7. The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health death toll did not distinguish between combatant and civilian deaths. There were about 1200 killed in the terrorist attack in Israel, and about 250 hostages taken.
The breakdown
Rimpac would bring together up to 29 militaries, involving more than 25,000 personnel, according to its US organisers.
The aim of the exercise, which would start at the end of June and last more than a month, was to build partnerships and interoperability between the 29 militaries.
The NZDF didn’t say how many of its troops, ships or planes would be involved in this year’s Rimpac, but it confirmed it would be attending the exercise when it started on June 26.
The arguments
Defence Minister Judith Collins said it was important to attend Rimpac to gain experience working with those 29 militaries.
“New Zealand has made its position on Gaza clear: we support peace efforts,” she said.
Collins did not respond to questions as to whether New Zealand raised concerns about Israel’s Rimpac involvement, saying the US - as organiser - was responsible for invitations.
