New Plymouth’s mayor has refused a request from Parihaka Pā and all of the district’s iwi to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Mayor Neil Holdom says communities from both sides of the war in Palestine live in New Plymouth and the district council shouldn’t take sides.
Parihaka spokesperson Dr Ruakere Hond says Taranaki trades on its international reputation for peace, so is obliged to act.
“We have Palestinian people within this region whose relations are being bombed,” said Hond.
“If we stay silent, we are supporting one group as opposed to another.
“Asking for a ceasefire is for peace. It’s not picking, choosing sides. It’s simply saying an end to violence, an end to the war.”
Famed for its non-violent stance, Parihaka’s legacy has been recognised by the Gandhi Foundation and Dr Martin Luther King’s family.
The NZ Government has been calling for a ceasefire since May.
“The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further,” said Foreign Minister Winston Peters.
The Parihaka deputation, alongside Palestinian Solidarity Taranaki, also asked the council to align with the Government – under UN resolution 2334 – and not invest in companies building Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
Hond told the council’s Te Huinga Taumatua committee that the leaders and boards of every post-settlement iwi agency across the district understood their historical obligation to back a ceasefire.
“The moment I started speaking about this, they understood exactly… This is not just Parihaka.”
On board are Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Maru, Te Ātiawa, Taranaki and Ngāruahine.
A public petition of 1800 to NPDC also called for a ceasefire declaration.
Mayor Holdom last month first refused to accept a notice of motion on Gaza from councillor Bali Haque, calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
On Tuesday, Holdom again refused to allow a ceasefire motion through to council, this time denying Parihaka and local iwi.
“Given the deeply sensitive and complex nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict … accepting the notice of motion could be seen as taking a position in a dispute that has profound emotional and personal significance for members of our community on both sides.”
It risked “creating a division” and NPDC should stand for unity, said Holdom.
“While we are unable to accommodate the request – and yes I take responsibility for this – I want to assure you that we remain committed to fostering understanding and dialogue.”
“I’ve spent time at Parihaka, you know that, and we’ve invested significantly in the relationships and the kaupapa of peace.”
Hond highlighted the council’s adoption of the waiata E Ngā Iwi o te Motu Nei, which exalts Parihaka’s feather of peace and the movement’s co-leader Te Whiti o Rongomai.
The waiata was about finding strength to respond to hatred with goodness, he said.
Te Huinga Taumatua co-chair Tamzyn Pue said the council must live up to the values it claims to support.
“Because Ruakere is right, every pōwhiri that I’ve attended here, E Ngā Iwi o te Motu Nei is recited,” said Pue.
“Your kapa haka group here… and actually every member of this staff here at the New Plymouth District Council recite the words of E Ngā Iwi o te Motu Nei.
“You’re singing it, you’re reading it to the visitors that come through that door.”
Pue was bound to support ceasefire and disinvestment.
“If I don’t speak, then I’m not living the philosophies of [Parihaka founding prophets] Tohu and Te Whiti.”
Parihaka is in the territory of Taranaki iwi.
Taranaki iwi representative to Te Huinga Taumatua, Jacqui King, also heads the board of the tribe’s post-settlement body Te Kāhui o Taranaki.
“Ruakere, Taranaki iwi supports whole-heartedly.”
“It is a particularly important issue for us in Taranaki, given that we’re globally recognised for our movements of peaceful resistance from here, from Taranaki, and particularly from Waitara.”
Grant Cole, from Palestinian Solidarity Taranaki, said he wanted the council’s door to remain partly-open for dialogue, rather than be slammed shut.
Cole said New Zealand in 2016 co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2334, declaring Israeli settlements in Palestine a violation of international law.
Supported by the Government, the resolution obliges states and entities “to withdraw all recognition, aid and assistance to Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestine territory,” said Cole.
Hond said Taranaki once bore the brunt of mechanised warfare.
“The best artillery of that time was used against us in Taranaki. [In 1860 the Niger], the biggest warship in the southern hemisphere… bombarded Wārea for 48 hours – the origins of Parihaka.”
He said the mayor’s refusal wouldn’t stop the campaign, which embodied the message of Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, as well as warrior rangatira who supported Parihaka’s new peace: Te Rangitaake, Te Ua Haumēne, Te Matakātea, and Tītokowaru.
“As Māori within this region, we will continue to talk about this issue.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
