New Zealand is now officially allied with Israel at the United Nations:
JUSCANZ (pronounced “juice cans” — really!) is UN-speak for a collection of non-European Union states that often form a negotiating bloc at UN bodies and committees. The acronym stands for Japan, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which were the original members. Over the years, its membership was extended to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and Switzerland.
And now, JUSCANZ can add another member to its bloc at a key UN committee: Israel.
This is, of course, America's doing. But it has significant impacts for New Zealand and our credibility with the rest of the world. And to point out the obvious, being allied with a nuclear-armed warmongering apartheid state which practices torture, assassination and indiscriminate warfare is not going to assist us when we are arguing for peace, disarmament and human rights.
And as usual: we weren't consulted. Foreign policy is something our government does to us, not on our behalf. This has to change.
