New Zealand MP suspended after pushing for sanctions on 'Israel'

Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick has been suspended from the New Zealand Parliament for one week after urging her colleagues to back a bill that would impose sanctions on 'Israel' over its actions in Palestine.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday, Swarbrick called on the government to adopt the Greens’ Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, saying, “If we find six of 68 government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history.”

Speaker Gerry Brownlee described her remarks as “completely unacceptable” and demanded that Swarbrick withdraw her statement and issue an apology. She refused, prompting her temporary ejection from the chamber.

The legislation requires the support of six government MPs to pass, a threshold Swarbrick highlighted in her appeal.

Her speech followed the government’s announcement on Monday that it would consider recognizing an independent Palestinian state. “We have so much further to go than nearly recognizing the statement of Palestine, as we should have done 76 years ago,” Swarbrick said, emphasizing New Zealand’s responsibility under the Genocide Convention.