New Zealand: MP expelled from parliament after controversy over recognition of Palestine

MP Chloe Swarbrick, co-leader of the Green Party of New Zealand, was expelled from the parliamentary session on Tuesday, August 12, after controversial statements during a discussion about the government's position on recognizing the state of Palestine and accusing Israel of committing "war crimes".

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee asked Swarbrick to leave the parliamentary chamber after she refused to retract her statements or apologize, describing her remarks as "completely unacceptable". Swarbrick had said during the discussion: "If we find 6 out of 68 MPs representing the government who have the courage, we can stand on the right side of history".

She also criticized New Zealand's delay in recognizing Palestine compared to countries like Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and France, which announced their intention to recognize the Palestinian state during the United Nations conference in September. She added: "New Zealand is lagging behind others and going against the norm... not making a decision is horrific".

Swarbrick referred to a bill introduced by the Green Party last March, supported by opposition parties, aimed at "punishing Israel for the war crimes it commits". She called on some government members to join this stance.

For his part, Brownlee clarified that Swarbrick is allowed to return to parliament on Wednesday, but she will be expelled again if she insists on not apologizing.

The center-right government announced that it is reviewing its position on recognizing Palestine, with a final decision to be made in September. Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated: "We will consider this decision carefully instead of rushing into it".

He added that the government will gather information and consult with international partners over the next month to lay the groundwork for a Cabinet decision.

Alongside the Green Party, the Labour Party and the Māori Party (Te Pāti Māori) support recognizing Palestine. Labour MP Penny Hennare criticized New Zealand's retreat from its principles, saying: "We have a history of holding onto our values, but in the case of Palestine, they have been abandoned".

It is worth noting that this discussion comes amid increasing international moves to recognize the Palestinian state, while New Zealand continues to assess its position amid internal divisions among the parties.