The Human Rights Commission has received at least 100 complaints about the digital flyer being distributed by Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. Photo: Supplied / Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
The Human Rights Commission is calling for the immediate halt of a local 'hotline' to report Israeli soldiers holidaying in New Zealand.
The commission has received at least 100 complaints about the digital flyer being distributed by Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
The post, titled "genocide hotline", asks the public for "help to track them down so we can let them know they are not welcome here".
Te Amokapua Chief Human Rights Commissioner Stephen Rainbow said it was a worry and should be taken down immediately.
"The primary concern is really around the precedent that this creates in terms of encouraging people to indulge in behaviours which could lead to some tragic consequences.
"While the target of this particular post might be one group, there could well be other groups who could be targeted in future and that is not helpful from a human rights perspective in terms of keeping people safe."
Rainbow referenced the murder of a Korean tourist in 2010 by a white supremacist, saying calls to target specific groups had could lead to tragic consequences.
"Unfortunately, these kinds of posts or this kind of online radicalisation can really lead to some concrete consequences with devastating effect and we think that's to be avoided and we think that we need to find other ways of resolving our differences than that which this post promotes."
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa's national chairperson John Minto does not resile from creating and promoting the hotline.
John Minto Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
"There must be accountability for Israel for what it's doing and there must be accountability for Israeli soldiers who are in the IDF which is conducting this genocide.
"The Human Rights Commissioner has got it round the wrong way. He should be joining us to condemn what's happening overseas."
Minto did not accept Rainbow's suggestion he could be putting people, including the Jewish community, in harm's way.
"Absolutely not. We've made it absolutely clear in everything we put out that this has nothing to do with with the Jewish community. It's nothing to do with Israelis. It has to do with Israeli soldiers who are here on rest and recreation from a genocide in Gaza."
Rainbow said it was not that simple and Minto's position set a dangerous precedent in an "increasingly polarised and divided society".
"To condone this kind of activity with regard to one group. I mean, the potential for this kind of action to be then targeted at other groups is really, really destructive and we've got a very strong responsibility at the Human Rights Commission to maintain social cohesion."
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has condemned the hotline.
"It's racist, fascist, it's illegal but typical of Minto's five decade diatribe against the national interests."
ACT leader David Seymour, who has a large Jewish community in his electorate, said the hotline was an absolute disgrace.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
"I grew up thinking John Minto was something of a hero because of a role he played in the Springbok protest. As I've got older and got to know a little bit more about John Minto I think his behaviour is absolutely disgraceful and the complete opposite of what he stood for when he was leading those protests, what is it now 44 years ago ... I absolutely deplore what he's doing. It's disgraceful."
The commission has also received eight complaints about immigration policy that permits Israeli soldiers to enter New Zealand under the visa waiver scheme that applies to Israel and some other countries.
Rainbow said the commission acknowledged many people in New Zealand felt strongly about pressuring the coalition to do more to enforce international humanitarian and human rights law, but encouraged them to do so in a way that did not put other people at risk.
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