Protesters March on New Zealand Parliament to Condemn Anti-Israel UN Resolution 2334

"To the sound of 200-300 voices chanting 'live, live, Israel, resolution go to Hell', Hawke's Bay pastor Nigel Woodley stood outside Parliament this afternoon and symbolically tore up a card representing the recent United Nations' resolution condemning Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.

UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which Woodley described as a knife in an ally's back, was adopted on Christmas Eve, demanding that 'Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem'.

New Zealand co-sponsored the resolution, with Senegal and Malaysia, which said the settlements violated international law and undermined a two-state solution in Israel's conflict with Palestine.

Woodley, the pastor of the Flaxmere Christian Fellowship in Hastings, arrived in Wellington with busloads of protesters, who spilled out onto Parliament grounds waving numerous Israeli flags, wearing countless T-shirts emblazoned with the Star of David, and holding up huge signs declaring 'The land of Israel belongs to Israel' and 'Israel is a true democracy in the middle east'.

The group were aware there would not be any Members of Parliament in the House today due to the holiday period. However, Woodley said this highlighted the resolution was adopted at a time when public response would be 'stifled'.

'I think that's just part of their move,' he said. 'Even if there are no MPs in the house ... we don't care, we think it's important that we symbolically stand on the grounds of Parliament denouncing and condemning this resolution'...

He said New Zealand 'held hands' with countries such as Malaysia who were 'so anti-Israel it's not funny' to co-sponsor the resolution..."