New Zealand politician removed from parliament after comments in Palestine debate

New Zealand parliamentarian and Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was ordered to leave Parliament on Tuesday (12 August) after refusing to apologise for remarks made during a heated debate on the government’s position regarding the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The centre-right government announced that it was still considering whether to recognize a Palestinian state.

This is a move which several key allies, including Australia, Canada, the UK, and France, have announced recently and said they would make their support official at the United Nations conference in September.

Swarbrick called New Zealand a “laggard” and an “outlier” in the international community by sharply criticizing the government’s delay. She urged members of the ruling coalition to support the Green Party bill introduced in March. That would impose sanctions on Israel for alleged war crimes — legislation backed by all opposition parties.

“If we find six of 68 Government Members of Parliament (MPs) with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history," Swarbrick told the House of Representatives.

Spokesperson of the House Gerry Brownlee considered the comment “completely unacceptable”. He demanded that Swarbrick withdraw it and apologise. When she refused, she was ordered to leave parliament.

Brownlee later affirmed that Swarbrick could return on 13 August but warned that if she still refused to apologise she would be again removed from parliament.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters restated that the government would make its decision on Palestinian recognition in September.

He added later that officials would “gather information and consult with international partners” before presenting recommendations to the Cabinet.

“We’ll be weighing this decision carefully rather than rushing to judgment,” Peters told Parliament.

Three out of six parliamentary parties of 54th Parliament, The Green Party, Labour, and Te Pāti Māori, all support immediate recognition of Palestine.

Member of the Labour Party Peeni Henare criticised the government’s indecision, saying New Zealand “was being left behind” and should stand by its values.

The debate comes in the middle of growing international drive for Palestinian statehood, with diplomatic developments expected to intensify in the lead-up to next month’s United Nations conference.

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