Nicole McKee called to condemn Israel’s bulldozing of New Zealand war graves in Gaza
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
ANZAC Day (25 April 2026)
Media Release
Nicole McKee called to condemn Israel’s bulldozing of New Zealand war graves in Gaza
ACT MP Nicle McKee is being asked to condemn Israel’s deliberate bulldozing of New Zealand war graves in Gaza after the ACT MP posted on Facebook yesterday strong support for looking after New Zealand soldiers’ graves wherever they are.
McKee says: We talk a lot about honouring our fallen – but real respect is shown in what we do, not just what we say.
Across New Zealand, volunteers from the NZ Remembrance Army have quietly restored hundreds of thousands of service graves, preserving the stories and dignity of those who served. They do it efficiently, carefully, and with genuine respect.
What’s been holding them back is layers of inconsistent rules and bureaucracy.
ACT is committing to cut through that, back these volunteers with funding, and make sure this work can continue at scale.
Because if someone was prepared to give everything for this country, the least we can do is ensure they are remembered properly.
“Israel’s destruction of New Zealand war graves was not an accident of war. It was the deliberate bulldozing of the graves by the Israeli military” says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. “They have bulldozed dozens of Palestinian cemeteries as standard practice to erase Palestine from Gaza. They didn’t think twice about bulldozing our war graves, knowing there would be no reaction from our government and they were right”
“We agree with McKee when she says “real respect is shown in what we do, not just what we say””, says Minto. “Let’s see some respect for our soldiers who died in Gaza with a rousing government condemnation of the deliberate destruction of these war graves”
“We won’t hold our breath. The government can’t even condemn Israel for the mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza – a campaign of physical and cultural destruction which continues today”
PSNA has long called on the government to condemn Israel’s deliberate destruction of war graves in Gaza. Here is the PSNA media release from 9 February this year:
PSNA calls on government to condemn desecration of New Zealand war graves in Gaza
PSNA is calling on the government to condemn Israel’s desecration of New Zealand war graves in Gaza.
Israeli bulldozing of the graves was confirmed last week but the New Zealand government has not responded with any comment.
Palestinian Essam Jaradah, who has tended the New Zealand graves for 45 years, confirmed their destruction in an interview with the Guardian newspaper.
“Common decency demands we condemn Israel for this abuse of our war dead,” says Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair John Minto. “If it happened anywhere else in the world the government would register shock and be appalled.”
“Australia has spoken out but nothing from New Zealand. No protest expressed, no demand Israel apologise, no request for access to inspect the damage. Nothing.”
“Neither has there been any response from the New Zealand Returned Services Association.”
Minto says Israel relied on what he called huge and sympathetic media attention for more than two years, demanding the return of the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza.
“It seems the only human remains which matter are Israeli ones. Over a period, Israel has systematically destroyed Palestinian cemeteries and now the war graves of our soldiers.”
There were 23 graves of New Zealand World War I soldiers in the Commonwealth War Cemetery, plus another two from the 280 strong Rarotongan Company from the Cook Islands, which also fought for Britian to capture Palestine from the Turkish Ottomans.
“The families of these soldiers deserve to hear their government speak out” says Minto.
Earlier reports show appalling and deliberate damage and bodies desecrated in at least 16 other cemeteries across Gaza and Canada reported damage to the war cemetery where Canadian soldiers lie alongside New Zealanders.
According to a CNN report:
Cemeteries are given protections as “civilian objects” under international law and are afforded special protections, with limited exceptions.
“Israel has always flouted international law, and the desecration of cemeteries adds to the long list of its war crimes in Gaza,” says Minto.
“There might be some people who believe Israeli excuses that there are tunnels under everything in Gaza, so everything should be bombed or bulldozed flat.”
“But Israel has no right to be there. It is in illegal occupation of Gaza and the other Palestinian Territory of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”
“If Israel respected international law, and withdrew its military occupation, the graves would not have been desecrated” says Minto.
The land for the cemetery was gifted by the people of Palestine.
“We are not aware that any New Zealand politician has ever visited these graves in Gaza so probably the Prime Minister will turn his back on Israeli desecration of our history as he has on the mass killing, starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.”
The destruction of the graves was highlighted in a story in the Ngāmotu Advocate earlier this week:
John Minto
Co-Chair PSNA