Australia/Israel Review

Palestinian flags and keffiyehs at Maori protests and events in New Zealand have become ubiquitous since October 7, but not all of the country’s indigenous people are on board with what they imply. 

The pro-Palestinian symbolism was trotted out at events like the Maori King’s funeral last September and the hikoi protesting the now defunct ACT Party’s Treaty Principles Bill.

Judging by the rhetoric which invariably accompanies social media posts on anything to do with Israel, many New Zealanders who sport these symbols have a very limited grasp either of the history of Israel and the Jewish people, or the complex geopolitics of the region. 

But many Maori have been encouraged to believe that unquestioning support for the Palestinian cause – to the point where the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 are justified as “resistance” – is required to be “on the right side of history.” 

As in many other countries, there is a contingent of activists and academics who preach hatred of Israel. Their one-sided takes on Israel and the Gaza conflict have gained a foothold with some Maori, and have contributed to the global rise in antisemitism.

At the same time, there are Maori who are strong supporters of Israel and who have been vocal about their defence of the Jewish community and opposition to antisemitism since October 7. 

This situation is not unique to New Zealand. In Australia, for example, a similar voice is legendary Indigenous sportswoman and former federal politician Nova Peris, who visited New Zealand in February. 

Peris took time out from her holiday to meet local Jewish community representatives, and to speak to this reporter. She discussed the connections between Indigenous and Jewish people, and how the history of her forebears has shaped her beliefs.

She emphasised that there is a lot of disinformation around, and many young kids she speaks to have jumped on the anti-Israel bandwagon. “And it’s complete madness that the Jewish people are made out to be the colonisers, and the perpetrators in all this.” 

Indigenous people around the world should have the highest regard for Jewish people, because they are the epitome of decolonisation, she said. “The Jewish people have returned back to their homeland stronger than ever. They’ve never forgotten their traditional ways or religious practices, and they’ve turned the desert into what it is today. 

“It’s an absolute joke, all these fools chanting ‘from the river to the sea,’ because Israel isn’t going anywhere.” 

Despite the vocal antagonism she receives due to her stance, Peris is not deterred. She is now working with some Australian Jewish women on a documentary to showcase the reality of Israel and amplify the voices of Australians who support the Jewish community. 

A New Zealand equivalent to Peris is Maori activist Dr Sheree Trotter. Working with former MP Alfred Ngaro, Trotter co-founded the country’s Indigenous Coalition for Israel (ICFI). 

Recently, Trotter and Ngaro were amongst the driving forces behind the establishment of an Indigenous Embassy in Jerusalem. Both were subsequently included in the Algemeiner’s list of the top 100 individuals who positively influenced Jewish life in 2024. 

Trotter said she recognises that Jews are the Indigenous people of the land of Israel and have been maligned by a false narrative that paints them as foreign colonisers. Ngaro said ICFI was set up to provide a platform for Indigenous peoples to publicly show their support for Israel. 

“When Green MP [now party co-leader] Marama Davidson joined a flotilla protest to Gaza in 2017 ‘as an Indigenous woman,’ I became concerned with the way our people were being aligned with an anti-Israel cause. This was a motivation to provide an alternative voice,” Trotter said. 

It is disturbing to see Maori activists taking a one-sided position and mindlessly repeating Hamas slogans, she lamented. “They automatically believe Hamas propaganda and dismiss Israel’s side of the story. They come from a place of ignorance about the geo-politics of the region and yet shout their message with such conviction.” 

People need to know there are other opinions, and the monolithic voice of the activists does not represent all Indigenous people, Trotter continued. “We hope that those with open minds will be persuaded of the truth. When a lie is unchallenged, it becomes received dogma. 

“Having done a lot of work on the Holocaust, we recognise that in the 1930s too many chose a path of silence and acquiescence. When the lies come from our own Indigenous people, we are the ones that need to speak up.” 

Like Peris, she gets backlash, which she finds isolating, but she keeps going, she said. 

“We are working hard to build our organisation, establish our Jerusalem office and extend our networks. We see the need to address the false narrative within academia, as it is from there that it flows out to the rest of society. 

“Therefore, we are planning another academic symposium in Jerusalem, as well as other events.”