Mayor should focus on Wellington not Palestine

Stuff reports:

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau is facing criticism for a social media post the NZ Jewish Council says uses code for the “annihilation of Israel”, but has the backing of another Jewish group.

“Exist, resist, return”, Whanau’s Instragram post on Monday said above a picture of what appears to be a Hamas fighter with a gun slung over their back. The words “free Palestine” are below.

Whanau has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. However, her post has come in the wake of a deadly Hamas attack on Israel – and Israel’s widely-criticised counter-attack, which has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

NZ Jewish Council president Juliet Moses said it was “shocking” the capital city’s mayor would post the message at a time when New Zealand Jewish schools and day cares were having to increase security due to a rise in anti-Semitic threats and rhetoric.

1,100 Jews were slaughtered, raped and executed by Hamas attackers. Their bodes were defiled. And Wellington’s Mayor thinks it appropriate to post something glorifying armed “resistance”.