1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:00,440 Speaker 1: Too. 2 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 2: High profile Israeli ministers are now banned from New Zealand. 3 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 2: The Israeli Finance Minister beizilals Motrich and the Security Minister 4 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 2: Atama Bengvia have been banned from multiple countries, sparking backlash 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: from the United States not particularly happy with us about this. 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 2: The Israeli ambassador to New Zealand, Alone Roth is with 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: us now hail on good evening. Did your government get 8 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 2: any notice before this happened? 9 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: No, no, we were surprised yesterday. 10 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: What do you make of that? 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: I think that what we see now is that we 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: are trying to get some kind of seas fire in 13 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: the fight in the Middle East in Gaza and is 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,519 Speaker 1: very fighting seven fronts on the same time. And I 15 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:51,319 Speaker 1: wish that all parties involved, the international players, would have 16 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: helped us to reach this seas fire and to reach 17 00:00:54,600 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: some kind off end to this war and make sol 18 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: that this r organization Hamas is not with us. So 19 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: we are for discussions, We are for talks. We are 20 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: for dialogues. We are not for putting blame or putting 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: whatever was done yesterday night to our ministers, do. 22 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: You expect that you will get more of these kinds 23 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 2: of sanctions that are targeted at individuals and the government. 24 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 2: As the risk the world becomes increasingly frustrated with Israel. 25 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: You know, we have to look on the bigger issue here. 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: What is the context. The context is that a year 27 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: and a half ago as well was viciously attacked by 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: a terror organization. Twelve hundred civilians were massacred, raped, taken 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: into Gaza. Many of them are still in Gaza suffering horrors. 30 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: The Palestinian population was taken hostage by a terror organization 31 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: called Hamas. And these are the issues that we have 32 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: to deal with. It not the composition of the Israeli government. 33 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: And I do hope, as I said, the international players 34 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: are very important. And this for us is an existential war. 35 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: We see an existential threat. You know, we are being 36 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: attacked from from Iran, and from Yemen and from a 37 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: Gus of course, and he's belind the North, et cetera, 38 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: et cetera. And we hope that our friends, especially our 39 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: democratic friends, will help us to go forward and to 40 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: reach what we really want to reach, and this is peace. 41 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 2: How are the democratic friends supposed to help you? What 42 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 2: can I what can I actually do practically? 43 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: I you know, I think that there is intelligence in 44 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: every government and in empery place. And I see, for example, 45 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: what our American friends are doing with us. I see 46 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: the proposals that are coming time and again to the table. 47 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: And by the way, is where always said yes to 48 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: this propose, also even the ones that were more problematic 49 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: for US and the other side. Hamas, in a serial 50 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: kind of answer, answered negatively. So if you ask me 51 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: what should be done the international community, especially the democratics, 52 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: that democracies should put pressure on Hamas, not on Israel. 53 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: Israel really wants peace. Israel shows it. The Israeli culture 54 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: is the culture of life, not the culture of death. 55 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: We want peace, but we can't have a terror organization, 56 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: armed terror organization on our southern border. We saw on 57 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: the seventh of October what happened, and we still have 58 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: dozens of Israelis that are suffering, horrible suffering in their tunnels. 59 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 2: You guys must be aware, I mean, you're smart enough, 60 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 2: obviously as diplomats, to be aware of the fact that 61 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: it is becoming increasingly difficult for the world to support you. 62 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: Right again, the question is not to support Israel or not. 63 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: The question is much bigger. The question is whether we 64 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: want to show terrorists this time in the Middle East, 65 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: in the south of Israel, but tomorrow it will be 66 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: elsewhere that they can fight with lies and with embedding 67 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: themselves into their own population, civilian population, and making sure 68 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: that they are liked in the world, because the world 69 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: is saying, well, Israel is doing harm to this population. 70 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: If this is the example that is going to win, 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: all of us are in great danger and Israel is 72 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: today's suffering the world that will determine whether terrorism is 73 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: going to win or whether the idea of life, democracy 74 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: and judicial systems that are the strongest and decide whatever 75 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 1: is being done, are winning. And for the time being, 76 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: unfortunately we don't see it enough. 77 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 2: Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. 78 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 2: Alon Roth, Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand. For more from 79 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks it'd 80 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.