NZ Lawmaker Suspended After Pushing Israel Sanctions Bill in Parliament

IQNA – A senior lawmaker in New Zealand was ejected from parliament and barred for one week after urging the MPs to back her party’s bill proposing sanctions against the Israeli regime.

The opposition co-leader is pushing for sanctions against Tel Aviv for its war crimes in Palestine.

"If we find six of 68 government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history," said Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick, calling on the government to pick up the Greens' "Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill," which the Speaker Gerry Brownlee called "completely unacceptable."

Six lawmakers are currently needed to pass the law.

Brownlee demanded that Swarbrick withdraw and apologize for her statement, but she was barred from parliament for a week after refusing to do so.

The debate came after the New Zealand government announced on Monday that it would consider recognizing an independent state of Palestine.

"We have so much further to go than nearly recognizing the statement of Palestine, as we should have done 76 years ago," said Swarbrick, adding that the Kiwi nation "can and must" uphold the Genocide Convention.

The Israeli regime is facing mounting condemnation for its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, where it has killed nearly 61,500 victims since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former war minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Source: Anadolu Agency