The recent admission by the Guardians of the New Zealand Super Fund that they continue to invest in certain companies complicit in gross human rights violations in (China for example), while conspicuously divesting in others in Israel calls into question the integrity of the funds application of their ‘ethical standards policy’.
Ben & Jerry's decision to stop selling ice cream in Jewish communities in the West Bank has caused ripples - and may be a breach of US laws that prohibit discriminatory boycotts.
The Har Meron disaster is one of the worst peacetime tragedies in modern Israel's history. There are at least 45 people confirmed dead and over 150 more injured.
In January The Israel Institute of New Zealand exposed NZ MPs as members of an online group that frequently posts vile antisemitism. Labour MP for Christchurch Central, Dr Duncan Webb, was found to have posted, commented, and ‘liked’ posts in the group.
The New Zealand Government superannuation savings vehicle, the NZ Super Fund, is ostensibly joining the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel – a movement deemed racist by many of New Zealand’s traditional allies.
The role of media in any country is vital for democracy. That's why non-democratic rulers often tightly control the flow of information and why we should be concerned at the state of global press freedom, especially with looming challenges.
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet;” so says an iconic line from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. While the sentiment that names are unimportant is enticing, the reality is that these star-crossed lovers’ names are deeply important. So, too, are the names we bestow on other things.
