To: Thames-Coromandel District Council and Waikato Regional Council

TCDC and WRC: Stand with Palestine

We, the undersigned residents of the Hauraki rohe and the Thames-Coromandel community, call on the Thames-Coromandel District Council and the Waikato Regional Council to pass the following motion:

MOTION: A CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA

TCDC/ WRC call on the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to:

call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza
call for immediate international humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza
provide humanitarian aid to Gaza
condemn all acts of violence and terror against civilians
call for the immediate return of all hostages, Israeli and Palestinian
recognise the State of Palestine as a sovereign state

And add the following to their procurement policies:

TCDC/ WRC will comply with UN resolution 2334, and will not contract with the list of companies identified by the UN Human Rights Council as involved in building or maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements.

Why is this important?

As the Israeli military continues its bombardment and siege on the people of Gaza and throughout Palestine, and the US government continues its support by sending weapons and bombs to drop on civilians, the world is being called upon to act. The genocide we have witnessed over the past 9 months is only the most recent escalation of Israel’s decades-long oppression of Palestinians.

As of 26 June, 37,708 Palestinians have been killed, at least 5,000 women and 7,800 children. 1.7 million people are internally displaced, and a high risk of famine persists while over 500,000 people face catastrophic levels of food insecurity due to Israel’s blockade on aid entering Gaza (UNOCHA).

The observance of human rights and the condemnation of acts that breach those rights, namely acts of violence and terror against civilians, is an important pillar of our democracy, enshrined in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.

Speaking up has moral and political weight. Failure to call out acts of violence and terror against civilians is not a neutral position. Furthermore, New Zealand is a member of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which requires us to take action to prevent genocide. Having leaders who call out these atrocities and call for action is important and impacts our collective well-being.

International law is persuasive and relevant to your decision-making. New Zealand is a member state and is bound by UN resolutions. Numerous resolutions have been passed, the most recent being UN Security Council Resolution 2728, adopted on March 25, 2024, calling for a ceasefire.

145 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognise the state of Palestine as a sovereign state. But NZ, together with our brotherhood of English settler-colonial states (Canada, US, Australia and UK), are part of preventing official recognition and Palestinian statehood, and thus, deny the Palestinian people the right to have rights. This must change!

New Zealand governments have taken a strong stance on international issues in the past, for example, in opposing apartheid South Africa. We must continue this legacy.

We believe in our individual, collective and national moral responsibility to use our voice and power to stop the genocide. Many local bodies in Aotearoa and internationally are calling on governments to take decisive action. The more voices that join this call, the stronger it becomes.

None of us are free until all of us are free!

Justice for Palestine!

How it will be delivered

We will deliver the petition to TCDC at the council meeting on Tuesday the 6th of August, 9 am, Council Chambers, Thames.
Please join us to show your support!

Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, New Zealand

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Links

Campaign Facebook Page Campaign Website Take Action for Palestine

Updates

2024-08-07 21:57:45 +1200

Thank you everyone for your continued support!
We delivered the petition to council on their August 6 meeting.
A vote on the proposed motion was also planned as part of the meeting. However, to our disappointment, the mayor withdrew the motion from the agenda and prevented the vote from taking place - https://fb.watch/tO-btu30Ob/

2024-07-24 15:15:17 +1200

Thank you for supporting this petition - OUR VOICE MATTERS!

The official Motion for Thames-Coromandel District Council to Stand with Palestine will be tabled at the council meeting on Tuesday, August 6, 9:00 am, Thames.

For this motion to pass, we must make sure councillors know our communities support this motion - WE NEED YOU THERE!

Come and help us show TCDC that we must STAND UP AGAINST GENOCIDE!

Join the petition delivery:
WHEN: Tuesday, August 6, 9:00 am,
WHERE: Thames Council chambers
515 Mackay Street
Thames, 3500

2024-07-09 19:41:03 +1200

100 signatures reached

2024-07-06 16:22:37 +1200

50 signatures reached

2024-07-05 21:54:55 +1200

25 signatures reached

2024-07-04 12:46:24 +1200

10 signatures reached

2024-07-03 21:05:36 +1200

Kia ora koutou,
Thank you for the tautoko (support) of this kaupapa!
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL SCREENING OF THE FILM
‘WHERE OLIVE TREES WEEP’
July 20, 16:00 - 19:00
Te Kura o Te Kauaeranga - Thames South School
More info here: https://fb.me/e/4D9fcuCCW