Benjamin Netanyahu. File photo

 

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has lashed out at Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of having “lost the plot” amid Israel’s controversial actions in Gaza. Luxon condemned Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza City as “utterly unacceptable” at a time when international anger against Netanyahu is swelling.

 

Luxon's sharp critique comes as part of an escalating international response, with nations questioning Israel's intensified military operations in Gaza. His government is now pondering whether to align with moves by fellow Five Eyes Alliance members like Australia, Britain, and Canada to recognise a Palestinian state. Allegations of mass starvation and tight aid restrictions in Gaza have sparked wider condemnation.

 

Without holding back, Luxon asserted that Netanyahu is disregarding international calls for unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza. “He's gone too far,” Luxon stated. "What we're witnessing in Gaza City is utterly unacceptable." Netanyahu's office has yet to fire back any comments, reported CNN.

 

Responding to on-the-ground chaos involves reports of increasing violence and acute shortages of food and essentials, with Palestinian health officials reporting 227 deaths from malnutrition, including 103 children. Meanwhile, foreign ministers worldwide express outrage, describing the crisis as a looming famine that demands swift Israeli intervention to facilitate humanitarian aid.

 

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoes these concerns, accusing Netanyahu of being “in denial” about the conflict's human toll. Australia has voiced intent to back Palestinian statehood at the UN, positioning New Zealand as the Five Eyes outlier, apart from the US, in this stance.

 

France’s Emmanuel Macron also enters the fray, vowing to recognise a Palestinian state and calling for an urgent ceasefire alongside humanitarian relief and the demilitarisation of Hamas. The Israeli-US bloc remains staunchly against such recognitions.

 

Back home, Luxon’s contemplation over New Zealand’s potential recognition of a Palestinian state faces backlash. Former PM Helen Clark lambasts what she deems inadequate action, branding New Zealand's stance humiliating.

 

The political tension extends into New Zealand's parliament, where Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick faced ejection for refusing to apologise over fiery comments urging MPs to support sanctions against Israel. Her call for courage among legislators reflects growing impatience over perceived diplomatic stagnation.

 

In a climate of heightened scrutiny, New Zealand’s decision on Palestine recognition looms large, casting a spotlight on its international standing and diplomatic alliances amid a conflict-dominated global stage.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-08-15

 

Another who is gullible and doesn't know a terrorist if he tripped over one.

41 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

Another who is gullible and doesn't know a terrorist if he tripped over one.

He just did trip over one... that's why he slammed him and is considering the recognition of Palestine.

Country after country , all words.

If they really meant it , they would do something 

like sanctions , embargo's/boycotts, restricting travel

and no arm/weapons to that country.

It is a wonderful thing to witness a serial killer being called out for his moral bankruptcy. Netanyahu has lost all credibility around the world. The US would appear to be the last nation to support and tolerate their extremist nonsense. 

 

And what about the obnoxious settlers? It was the third attack that July night in this central pocket of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and the seventh attack on this particular junkyard since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, according to its owner.

 

“Before the war they harassed us, but not like this,” said Muhammad Sabr Asalaya, 56, the junkyard owner. “Now, they’re trying to expel as many people as they can and annex as much land as they can.”

 

Such attacks were on the rise before Hamas led a deadly raid on Israel in 2023, setting off the war in Gaza, and they have since become the new normal across much of the West Bank. With the world’s attention on Gaza, extremist settlers in the West Bank are carrying out one of the most violent and effective campaigns of intimidation and land grabbing since Israel occupied the territory during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.

 

The military, which is the sovereign power in the occupied territory, says it tries to prevent the attacks, but a Times investigation last year found that the Israeli authorities have for decades failed to impose meaningful restraints on criminal settlers. While Israel usually prosecutes Palestinians under military law, settlers are typically charged under civil law, if they are prosecuted at all.

 

Hard-line settler leaders acknowledge that their aim is to intimidate Palestinians into leaving strategic tracts of territory that many Palestinians hope may one day form the spine of a state.

 

“It’s not the nicest thing to evacuate a population,” Ariel Danino, a prominent settler activist, said in an interview with The Times in 2023. “But we’re talking about a war over the land, and this is what is done during times of war.” In a recent call, Mr. Danino said he stood by the comments but declined a second interview.

 

Netanyahu goal :

 

28 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It is a wonderful thing to witness a serial killer being called out for his moral bankruptcy. Netanyahu has lost all credibility around the world. The US would appear to be the last nation to support and tolerate their extremist nonsense. 

 

And what about the obnoxious settlers? It was the third attack that July night in this central pocket of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and the seventh attack on this particular junkyard since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, according to its owner.

 

“Before the war they harassed us, but not like this,” said Muhammad Sabr Asalaya, 56, the junkyard owner. “Now, they’re trying to expel as many people as they can and annex as much land as they can.”

 

Such attacks were on the rise before Hamas led a deadly raid on Israel in 2023, setting off the war in Gaza, and they have since become the new normal across much of the West Bank. With the world’s attention on Gaza, extremist settlers in the West Bank are carrying out one of the most violent and effective campaigns of intimidation and land grabbing since Israel occupied the territory during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.

 

The military, which is the sovereign power in the occupied territory, says it tries to prevent the attacks, but a Times investigation last year found that the Israeli authorities have for decades failed to impose meaningful restraints on criminal settlers. While Israel usually prosecutes Palestinians under military law, settlers are typically charged under civil law, if they are prosecuted at all.

 

Hard-line settler leaders acknowledge that their aim is to intimidate Palestinians into leaving strategic tracts of territory that many Palestinians hope may one day form the spine of a state.

 

“It’s not the nicest thing to evacuate a population,” Ariel Danino, a prominent settler activist, said in an interview with The Times in 2023. “But we’re talking about a war over the land, and this is what is done during times of war.” In a recent call, Mr. Danino said he stood by the comments but declined a second interview.

 

The latest news from the BBC News website this morning about Israeli settlers, though this is from the West Bank. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgdzxpkdd7o

The article quotes Palestinian Health Officials, in other words Hamas commanders.

It's an absolute irony that the people suffered at most from Hitlers Nazi Regime having now a religious Fascist Regime ruling their own Country.

10 minutes ago, UWEB said:

It's an absolute irony that the people suffered at most from Hitlers Nazi Regime having now a religious Fascist Regime ruling their own Country.

Not irony, common sense. Fom the Holocaust the Israelis learned, after the murder in concentration camps of millions of Jewish men, women, children and babies, to strike first and strike hard. 

3 hours ago, koolkarl said:

Another who is gullible and doesn't know a terrorist if he tripped over one.

Nations lining up to formally recognize Palestine.

 

Option 1. You are correct.

 

Option 2. Something far more rational is the cause.

 

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

The article quotes Palestinian Health Officials, in other words Hamas commanders.

Indeed. The same Hamas officials that France and other nations want disarmed and have no part of a Palestinian state. Easier said than done. Disarm the terrorists. I wonder if they will say how they intend to do this?

5 hours ago, FlorC said:

Country after country , all words.

If they really meant it , they would do something 

like sanctions , embargo's/boycotts, restricting travel

and no arm/weapons to that country.

That's because they feel the political need to be seen to oppose Israeli actions. Tokenism only. In reality very, very few countries support sanctions against Israel or the creation of a Palestinian state.

To all the useful idiots on this chat who would prefer to support  terrorists. 

I was gonna write a big spiel but who's going to believe me. I think it would be much better to put this video on here by colonel Richard Kemp, an expert in urban warfare. If you really want to know what is going on please listen to him. He is a Christian British colonel. 

 

2 hours ago, aussiebrian said:

To all the useful idiots on this chat who would prefer to support  terrorists. 

I was gonna write a big spiel but who's going to believe me. I think it would be much better to put this video on here by colonel Richard Kemp, an expert in urban warfare. If you really want to know what is going on please listen to him. He is a Christian British colonel. 

 

You conveniently never mentioned the fact that Kemp is a director UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS), a British charity that raises money to support the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

3 hours ago, aussiebrian said:

To all the useful idiots on this chat who would prefer to support  terrorists. 

I was gonna write a big spiel but who's going to believe me. I think it would be much better to put this video on here by colonel Richard Kemp, an expert in urban warfare. If you really want to know what is going on please listen to him. He is a Christian British colonel. 

 

In tune with Kemp is John Spencer, been on the front lines in Gaza four times in this war, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, codirector of the Urban Warfare Project.

 

Does away with the propaganda and tells it like it is:

Israel Hamas War | 'No Genocide In Gaza' | War Expert John Spencer's Explosive Claim On Hama

 

If you cant be bothered watching a vid, a few of his articles are in Newsweek where he is a regular contributor: 

 

https://www.newsweek.com/authors/john-spencer

1 hour ago, Chris.C said:

You conveniently never mentioned the fact that Kemp is a director UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS), a British charity that raises money to support the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Amazing how that one snippet from his wiki page that shows his distinguished and lengthy military career is taken out of context. So what if he supports the IDF's wellbeing? Would you prefer it if he showed support for the terrorists wellbeing?

 

Kemp was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Military Division, on 25 April 1994 in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1993,[39] and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for service as a commander in the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994.[40] He was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the New Year Honours 2006.[41] He received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in 2015.[42]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kemp

1 hour ago, Chris.C said:

You conveniently never mentioned the fact that Kemp is a director UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK-AWIS), a British charity that raises money to support the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Let me guess, you didn't even watch the video did you? 

10 hours ago, UWEB said:

It's an absolute irony that the people suffered at most from Hitlers Nazi Regime having now a religious Fascist Regime ruling their own Country.

Can you explain how on earth you work out two extreme false equivalence’s provide zero evidence to make such vile claims?

1 hour ago, aussiebrian said:

Let me guess, you didn't even watch the video did you? 

Of corse not, would you watch a video of a person who raised money for Hamas?
It’s as credible as an IDF spokesman. The IDF are breaking all rules of war.

What does that idiot soldier think about the IDF lying about killing rescue workers, burying them AND their ambulance to hide the evidence, then lying that they were shot at because they had no lights on ?
 

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Amazing how that one snippet from his wiki page that shows his distinguished and lengthy military career is taken out of context. So what if he supports the IDF's wellbeing? Would you prefer it if he showed support for the terrorists wellbeing?

 

Kemp was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Military Division, on 25 April 1994 in recognition of his intelligence work in Northern Ireland in 1993,[39] and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for service as a commander in the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994.[40] He was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division, in the New Year Honours 2006.[41] He received an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in 2015.[42]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kemp

Stop deflecting, I don’t care if he has a great military career. Raising money for the IDF means he is a moral monster and nothing he says is credible.

Every member of the IDF should be tried in The Hague for crimes against humanity.

 

It`s all a bit pointless - the hard-line are in control , supported by the US and they are rapidly making a palestinian state impossible .

4 hours ago, persimmon said:

It`s all a bit pointless - the hard-line  are in control , supported by the US and they are rapidly making a palestinian state impossible .

 

Nail hit, right on the head, mind you, that in my opinion was the plan all along, that and keeping Netanyahu out of court.

Are you Muslim? Palestinian? I notice all your posts are only anti Israel posts. Do you realise 20% of people in Israel are Muslim. 

14 hours ago, Chris.C said:

Of corse not, would you watch a video of a person who raised money for Hamas?
It’s as credible as an IDF spokesman. The IDF are breaking all rules of war.

What does that idiot soldier think about the IDF lying about killing rescue workers, burying them AND their ambulance to hide the evidence, then lying that they were shot at because they had no lights on ?
 

This post was for Chris C  Are you Muslim? Palestinian? I notice all your posts are only anti Israel posts. Do you realise 20% of people in Israel are Muslim. 

 

On 8/16/2025 at 12:10 PM, aussiebrian said:

This post was for Chris C  Are you Muslim? Palestinian? I notice all your posts are only anti Israel posts. Do you realise 20% of people in Israel are Muslim. 

 

English Catholic.

Are you Jewish?
I am anti Israeli, not anti Jew or any other religion.