Auckland Council passes Israel-linked procurement motion on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Auckland Council has passed a motion requesting staff advice on whether its procurement policies align with international frameworks relating to Israeli settlements, following a vote held on Yom HaShoah.
Auckland Council buidling Photo: Wikimedia
The motion, introduced by Councillor Julie Fairey, was approved by the council’s Policy, Planning and Development Committee with 14 votes in favour. Several councillors opposed the measure, while others abstained.
The proposal asks council staff to report back on how the Auckland Council’s procurement practices align with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, as well as related United Nations frameworks concerning Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”).
According to the motion, the review would include whether council procurement involves companies identified in United Nations reporting as connected to settlement activity, and what steps could be taken to strengthen alignment with those frameworks.
The vote followed presentations to the committee from advocacy organisations, including Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. In a statement following the decision, the group described the motion as “a step toward sanctioning Israel for war crimes,” and welcomed the council’s action.
Councillor Fairey said the motion was intended as a practical measure to ensure council spending did not contribute to what she described as illegal Israeli settlements. During debate, she argued that “we must make sure the wool and the needles do not have blood on them.”
Opponents of the motion raised concerns about whether the council should involve itself in foreign policy matters, including arguments that it should remain focused on core local responsibilities.
The motion was introduced via a Notice of Motion, a procedural mechanism that allows councillors to bring forward items without prior staff reports. Council staff are now expected to prepare a report by mid-2026 outlining current procurement practices and potential policy options.The decision places Auckland among a number of New Zealand local authorities that have considered or adopted similar measures in recent years, including Wellington City Council.
The timing of the vote has drawn attention from some observers, as it coincided with Yom HaShoah, the annual day of remembrance for the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
No formal response has yet been issued by the Auckland Council regarding the timing of the debate.
