NZ Politics

That's not the impression I get at all.

She said she's taking a lead from Palestinian and Jewish peace activists. And the article has quotes from both Palestinian and Jewish representatives who see it simply as a call for freedom for an oppressed people, so that's a credible claim.

But the meaning behind what people say and how others interpret their words can be very different. It's pretty evident some people do take offense to the chant. And maybe the potential harm was more potent than any underlying good intent.

In the interview she gave with RNZ, she wasn't willing to say whether or not she would continue using the chant. Maybe she's reconsidering whether it's appropriate, and she's feel a bit whakama about the whole thing. But that's just as much conjecture as what you've said.

Anyway, my point is I don't think it's fair for you to act like this is some kind of deliberate attack.

And Hamas are miserable anti-Semitic goons that are an armed minority and do not represent the interests of most Palestinians.

Interestingly the phrase was originally used by Likud in 1977 in an election charter: “between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty”. If this phrase is a call to genocide the knife cuts both ways.

Saying that the country of Israel should not exist is not antisemitic.