The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) issued an announcement in late January calling on New Zealanders to let them know of any Israeli army soldiers who are holidaying in New Zealand. PSNA officials would then contact the soldiers and inform them that they are not welcome in New Zealand, like anyone complicit in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

It drew an immediate response from pro-Israeli sources. The Human Rights Commissioner stated, “The promotion may not be unlawful; however, the chief commissioner sees it as potentially harmful to Israeli and Jewish people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Israeli and Jewish people have as much right as everyone else in New Zealand to be safe, secure, and free from harassment … This sort of action has the risk of a ripple effect which may cause harm in the community.”

This represents a gross misrepresentation of the purpose of the promotion. The poster makes it clear that Israeli soldiers – and only Israeli soldiers – are being targeted. It is only Israeli soldiers that have been involved in war crimes.

As John Minto, the chairman of the PSNA argued, “We wouldn’t allow Russian soldiers to come here for rest and recreation from the invasion of Ukraine.”

The PSNA has been meticulous in explaining who the campaign is about. The PSNA website makes it clear who is being sought:

• Any Israeli soldier who has served in the Israeli army since October 7th 2023 (the period in which the International Court of Justice believes there is a plausible case of genocide against Israel) and

• Any Israeli citizen who has either a residential or work address in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (the type of move the government is required to take under the July 2024 ruling of the International Court of Justice which said Israel’s occupation is illegal)

It also clarifies who is not being sought:

• Israeli citizens

• Israelis (soldiers or reservists) who have served in the IDF before 7 Oct 2023

Anyone phoning the PSNA hotline receives the same information in an introductory message:

“Welcome to the Israeli Soldier hotline. If you have information about the location of Israeli soldiers in Aotearoa, please leave a message after the tone. We are not interested in information about Israelis or members of the Jewish community in general. If your call is not specifically about Israeli Soldiers, please hang up without leaving a message.”

It is difficult to see how such a clear message could be misinterpreted as targeting all Israelis and all Jews.