First up, we need to talk about Gaza. 

I'm not gonna be graphic, and, and I'm not gonna talk about what it is hap what's happening there in detail. You already know, you can choose to read about it yourself, and I recommend that you do just to the point that you can kind of handle it.   

Credit, today, to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia.  

He has stopped pussyfooting around what's going on here. He's just put out a strongly worded statement this afternoon. He's demanding that Israel stop starving children to death and let in more aid.  

He says, we call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. Now that is a shed load better than the waffly joint statement we signed up earlier this week.   

We need to get a spine on this, don't we?   

I mean, our joint statement didn't even mention the word starvation or starving, or any variation on that word. It is watered down to the point of having absolutely no impact, and that is what it had, no impact. 

Now I am not naive enough to think that New Zealand telling Israel off is going to change anything, but we've got to do something.  

And if all we've got is words, then we're gonna have to use them. 

Because maybe I am naive enough to believe that if enough world leaders call out Israel, name what is going on, don't pussyfoot around it, call the deliberate starvation for what it is. 

If enough world leaders say, ‘you have got to stop this now’, and if enough leaders then enact sanctions on Israel, then surely Trump cannot ignore it anymore.  

And Trump is the key here. He's the one we have to convince. 

Now, I know that Israel still has hostages in those tunnels, and as I said earlier this week, Hamas must release them for this war to end.  

But let me put this to you in very, very stark numbers.  

10 hostages is not worth even one of those children's lives.  

You do not starve a child to death to get 10 hostages out.  

They are children.  

I cannot believe that we are watching this happen and that we are letting this happen. 

LISTEN ABOVE

 

 

 

First up, we need to talk about Gaza.&nbsp;
I'm not gonna be graphic, and, and I'm not gonna talk about what it is hap what's happening there in detail. You already know, you can choose to read about it yourself, and I recommend that you do just to the point that you can kind of handle it. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Credit, today, to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia. &nbsp;
He has stopped pussyfooting around what's going on here. He's just put out a strongly worded statement this afternoon. He's demanding that Israel stop starving children to death and let in more aid. &nbsp;
He says, we call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. Now that is a shed load better than the waffly joint statement we signed up earlier this week. &nbsp;&nbsp;
We need to get a spine on this, don't we? &nbsp;&nbsp;
I mean, our joint statement didn't even mention the word starvation or starving, or any variation on that word. It is watered down to the point of having absolutely no impact, and that is what it had, no impact.&nbsp;
Now I am not naive enough to think that New Zealand telling Israel off is going to change anything, but we've got to do something. &nbsp;
And if all we've got is words, then we're gonna have to use them.&nbsp;
Because maybe I am naive enough to believe that if enough world leaders call out Israel, name what is going on, don't pussyfoot around it, call the deliberate starvation for what it is.&nbsp;
If enough world leaders say, ‘you have got to stop this now’, and if enough leaders then enact sanctions on Israel, then surely Trump cannot ignore it anymore. &nbsp;
And Trump is the key here. He's the one we have to convince.&nbsp;
Now, I know that Israel still has hostages in those tunnels, and as I said earlier this week, Hamas must release them for this war to end. &nbsp;
But let me put this to you in very, very stark numbers. &nbsp;
10 hostages is not worth even one of those children's lives. &nbsp;
You do not starve a child to death to get 10 hostages out. &nbsp;
They are children. &nbsp;
I cannot believe that we are watching this happen and that we are letting this happen.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE
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With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Perspective with Heather duPlessis-Allan: We need to talk about Gaza.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/004b159f-5457-4e5d-b0b4-b325007796b6/transcript