Asia Pacific Report
The Free Palestine Party was presented at a solidarity rally at the weekend as the new political group contesting the New Zealand general election in November.
But the plea was “don’t vote for us” — instead, use the party as a platform pressure the government to honour its obligations under international law over Palestine.
Organised by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA), the rally — staged on the 152nd consecutive week since Israel launched its genocide on the besieged Gaza enclave in October 2023 — activist Anna Lee “unofficially” explained the party’s stance.
- READ MORE: New Zealand’s Free Palestine Party aims to turn solidarity movement into political force
- Palestine Free From the River to the Sea Party
- Global March for Palestine
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In an interview with Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency in July, party leader Paul Hopkinson declared: “The Palestinian issue has disappeared from public space. We will make sure that the Palestinian issue is front and centre in this election.”
Formally registered as a NZ political party on August 5, Free Palestine states on its website that it is “committed to justice, international law, and a democratic state with equal rights for all citizens”.
“My understanding is we don’t want you to vote for the Palestine Free from the River to the Sea Party,” said Lee, a PSNA organiser and a party member.
“The aim is to change public opinion and put sustained parliamentary pressure on the New Zealand government to uphold its obligations under international law with respect to Palestine.”
The party is centred on the Nakba — “the catastrophe”, the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestine — as the historical root of the ongoing crisis, directly challenging Western narratives that deny or minimise Palestinian evictions.
Anna Lee outlined the party’s aims — building a broad, democratic party that unites supporters of Palestine from all traditions, allowing different ideas and perspectives to be discussed in an environment of tolerance and respect.
It also seeks to pressure the NZ government to support the prosecution of war crimes and genocide, uphold UN resolutions, and exercise its independent voice in international forums.
The idea is to build links in solidarity with all those resisting inequality and injustice around the world, recognising that Palestinian liberation is bound up with the broader struggle against imperialism.
Lee also stressed the party’s founding principles. The first two are as follows and the full list is here.
- A just peace in Palestine depends upon the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland and the dismantling of the Zionist structure of the state of Israel, recognising that the further partitioning of Palestine in order to create the so-called Two State Solution would only lead to further injustice and suffering.
- Acceptance of the primacy of international law and the United Nations resolutions as the basis for the ending of military occupation and all forms of ethnic discrimination in Israel.
The PSNA invited nine political parties and independent candidates to its “Make genocide an election issue” rally and public forum last Saturday in Auckland.
However, none of the three government coalition parties responded, nor did the fast-growing Opportunities Party (TOP).
Four opposition parties — Free Palestine Party, Green Party, Labour Party, Te Pāti Māori, and Dr Timoti Te Moke (independent candidate for Māngere) — agreed to take part.
Free Palestine Party seeks electoral voice in New Zealand Video: Anadolu
Their presentations were reported by Asia Pacific Report here.
PSNA’s Neil Scott summarised a few of the government’s “positive” steps:
- Condemned illegal settlements: The government has stated Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law
- Sanctioned 3 extremist settlers: Travel bans were imposed on Itamar Yehuda Levi, Harel David Libi, and Eliav Libi for violence and expanding illegal settlements
- Supported two-state solution: Officially backs a negotiated two-state outcome (but does not recognise Palestine?)
- Called for ceasefire: Peters has publicly called for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza
- Voted for UN resolution: NZ voted for a UN resolution demanding Israel end its unlawful presence in occupied Palestinian territory within 12 months.
But Scott also read out a long list of NZ government “negatives”:
- The coalition government had the chance to recognise Palestine alongside Australia, the UK, and Canada — but it refused. The government said recognition was a matter of “when, not if,’ but then chose not to act.
- Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s bill to sanction Israel has been blocked by this coalition government — denied even a first reading.
- Does not support the South African government’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- Refuses to ban NZ holiday visas for members of the IDF: ”New Zealand’s Working Holiday Scheme arrangement with Israel was agreed to in 2010 in the spirit of promoting closer cooperation between Israel and New Zealand. We are not looking to alter this arrangement currently.”
- PSNA raised concerns with Judith Collins in November 2024 re Rocket Lab complicity in the war on Gaza. She refused to investigate.
- New Zealand continues joint military drills with Israel under RIMPAC – NZDF sent the largest contingent in a decade to RIMPAC 2026, alongside Israel and US.
- Under current coalition Holocaust education passed to become part of the NZ curriculum.
“PSNA supports including Holocaust education in the compulsory curriculum,” said Scott.
“But this education must be delivered in the broader context of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the other components of customary international law.
“It is simply not appropriate for the curriculum to centre genocide of Europeans while bypassing the numerous genocides of people of colour throughout colonial history, including in Aotearoa New Zealand, and up to the present day.”
PSNA – along with other groups – is now organising its part in a major “Global march for Palestine” on October 10. New Zealand will be the first country in the world participating in this event for the people of Palestine.
