▶️ NZ’s Jewish community feeling “extremely vulnerable”
New Zealand’s Jewish community is feeling “extremely vulnerable” as the Gaza-Israel conflict intensifies.
In an interview with Chris Lynch Media, NZ Jewish Council spokeswoman Juliet Moses said the community was feeling “the most vulnerable, I would say that we've ever felt in our history here and we've been here for 160 years.”
Her comments follow yesterday’s candlelight vigil at Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance organised by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
Moses said she supported all forms of peaceful protest, but expressed her distress regarding protests at the Auckland Museum, which was illuminated in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in Israel.
“That was not a peaceful rally; I've seen the footage. It was not peaceful, and there were threats made.'"
The global repercussions of the conflict was also concerning.
“There are some very troubling events happening around the world. The temperature really needs to be de-escalated.
“Last week, we had to close our synagogues, community centres, and schools due to the declared Hamas day or global day of rage.
“Overnight, we witnessed the destruction of a synagogue in Tunisia and a synagogue in Berlin being firebombed.
The emotional toll on the community is palpable, with Moses mentioning, “we are feeling very vulnerable and deeply upset about what we saw happening in Israel.
“There's only two degrees of separation; if you know someone in Israel, that person absolutely knows someone who's been killed or taken hostage. We're grappling with that terrible grief, shock, and barbarity, all while dealing with our own concerns here.'"
Moses emphasised the role of political leaders, civil society leaders, and the media in setting the right tone, saying, “these leaders have a crucial role to play.
“The message should be that we can have differing views and opinions about the situation, and it's natural to feel strongly about it. We're in a democracy.
However, we don't need to import violence or threats here.
We should allow for peaceful expression of views that do not incite violence or make others feel threatened.”
