US embassy cable - 04WELLINGTON611

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, NZ 
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND PRAISED BY ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT 
HAMAS FOR RESPONSE TO ISRAELI SPY SCANDAL 
 
REF: A. WELLINGTON 605 
     B. WELLINGTON 599 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC COUNSELOR, 
TIMOTHY ZUNIGA-BROWN, FOR REASONS 1.5(B,D) 
 
1. (U) According to media reports, the Palestinian terrorist 
organization Hamas issued a press release July 17 thanking 
the GoNZ for Prime Minister Helen Clark's strong response to 
the conviction of two suspected Israeli intelligence agents 
(ref a).  The press release urged other countries to follow 
the model set by New Zealand in "adopting firm measures 
against the Zionist entity's violations of laws on foreign 
lands to achieve certain targets." 
 
2.  (U) The GNZ has been quick to renounce any sympathy for 
Hamas.  PM Clark noted that Hamas should not take comfort 
from the GoNZ's actions, and if Hamas agents had committed 
the same crimes, they would be subject to the same 
prosecution.  Domestic media reported separately that a 
religious terrorism professor at Auckland University 
suggested that NZ's position offers New Zealand military 
serving in Iraq "protection." 
 
3. (C) Comment: New Zealand continues to voice its strong 
support of the Roadmap, but is loathe to take actions that 
would identify it as a supporter of Israel and, by proxy, the 
United States.  The GoNZ prides itself on its multi-lateral 
credentials (ref B) but has been increasingly trying to stand 
alongside "Non-Aligned" countries.  Its overly strong 
reaction to Israel over this issue suggests the GNZ sees this 
flap as an opportunity to bolster its credibility with the 
Arab community, and by doing so, perhaps, help NZ lamb and 
other products gain greater access to a larger and more 
lucrative market. 
Swindells