More than a dozen Muslim attendees at an anti-terrorism conference in New Zealand shouted “Free Palestine” and staged a walkout during a speech by a leader of the country’s Jewish community.
It happened while Juliet Moses, spokesperson for the New Zealand Jewish Council, told the crowd that the country’s leaders should be consistent when condemning terrorism.
The incident occurred at the country’s first hui (“social gathering”) on Countering Terrorism and Violence Extremism on June 14 in Christchurch.
Later, Moses defended her talk, noting that New Zealand’s Jews face a number of threats, including from Hezbollah. New Zealand only recognizes Hezbollah’s military wing as a terror organization.
“If they had stayed to listen to my whole speech, they would have heard that I very much talked about unity—about the ways that we can work together towards social cohesion and indeed all of the initiatives that I’ve been involved in,” she said.
In response to the incident, a group of pro-Israel organizations issued a statement in support of Moses.
“We need to hear leaders condemn all support for terrorism and all terrorism equally, whatever the source, target and circumstance, and even when it is not politically expedient to do so,” said the group, called “Friends of the New Zealand Jewish Community.”
It added that it supports efforts by Moses “to bring this matter to public attention.”
Juliet Moses is an intelligent, thoughtful spokesperson for New Zealand’s Jewish community who deserved a respectful hearing from Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. It is too bad intolerant actors disrupted her talk. — Donald H. Harrison, editor, San Diego Jewish World.