The Indigenous Coalition for Israel (ICFI) is a New Zealand based organisation that aims to foster a unified indigenous voice in support of Israel, both domestically and globally, by promoting education and cultural engagement.[1][2] It was founded in 2021 by former cabinet minister Alfred Ngaro and academic Sheree Trotter.[2][3] The organization characterizes itself as "an international Christian initiative".[4]
 | |
| Founders | Alfred Ngaro; Sheree Trotter |
|---|---|
| Established | 2021 |
| Location | New Zealand |
| Website | indigenouscoalition.org |
Mission
ICFI aims to address the underrepresentation of indigenous supporters for Israel in the prevailing cultural discourse, aiming to educate on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. ICFI seeks to change the perception of Israel among Māori and Pasifika communities to create greater understanding and to address the lack of an official Māori or indigenous entity to represent a pro-Israel stance.[2][5][6]
ICFI uses various platforms to communicate their message, including its website, articles, newsletters, videos, social media and face-to-face engagement.[5][7]
People
Sheree Trotter, co-founder of ICFI, is an academic and researcher who writes on rising antisemitism in Western-style democracies.[8][9][10] Trotter earned her PhD in History at the University of Auckland and her thesis was on Zionism in New Zealand.[11] Trotter is a Māori Te Arawa indigenous person from New Zealand and believes there is a misconception that Jews are colonisers in Israel. Through her work with ICFI she emphasises the Jewish historical connection to Israel.[12][13][14][15]
Alfred Ngaro, co-founder of ICFI and former Cabinet of New Zealand government minister, has stated that he is a Zionist and supports the Jewish people in the "Land of Israel". He reflects on his Jewish grandmother, who came to the Cook Islands, and describes himself as a Cook Islander, Polynesian by birth and Jewish by descent.[16][17]
Activities
In April 2023, ICFI supported a press statement alongside several other organisations condemning the rocket attacks fired from Gaza and Southern Lebanon into Israel, and called on the New Zealand government to do the same.[18]
In December 2023, ICFI criticised a petition with 5000 signatories entitled the "Māori Call for Palestine" which urged the New Zealand government to intensify its support for Palestinians in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The petition included measures such as expelling the New Zealand-based Israeli ambassador until a ceasefire is reached and imposing economic sanctions on businesses linked with Israel's military actions.[19] In addition, the petition accuses Israel of genocide, apartheid and occupation which Trotter, as spokesperson for ICFI, deemed "problematic" and "deeply misguided". Trotter is quoted as saying, "...it doesn’t really show a recognition or understanding of the geopolitics of the region or the history of the region. It throws around some pretty provocative terms that I would challenge as being incorrect and I think it fails to recognise what Israel is dealing with with Hamas.”[19]
Indigenous People Embassy in Jerusalem
In 2024, the Indigenous Coalition For Israel initiated the creation of what it called the "first-ever Indigenous People Embassy in Jerusalem",[20] located on the Friends of Zion Museum campus.[21] This project, recognized by the Israeli Foreign Ministry as the 100th embassy in the State of Israel, aims to modify the narrative among indigenous peoples worldwide, emphasizing the ancestral connections indigenous groups have to their lands and resources. It seeks to acknowledge the social and cultural distinctions that define indigenous populations across the globe.[21]
The project's participants are largely unified by Christian beliefs in the Biblical importance of Israel, and some acknowledge that their pro-Israel positions do not reflect the majority opinions of their indigenous communities back home.[22] However, the group's membership is open to people of all religions.[21]
The Jerusalem Post reported that the establishment of the embassy received support from unspecified indigenous leaders, including "several tribal chiefs, a princess, and a king", from various parts of the world including Singapore, Taiwan, Samoa, American Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, North America, and South Africa.[21] Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum stated that indigenous peoples, with their intrinsic connections to their territories, are well-positioned to counter narratives that aim to disconnect the Jewish people from their ancestral lands.[21]
References
- ^ אייכנר, איתמר (3 September 2021). "קואליציית הילידים שמתכוונת לשנות את היחס לישראל בניו זילנד". ynet.
- ^ a b c "Our People". Indigenous Coalition For Israel. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Trotter, Sheree (5 September 2021). "Durban: "nothing to discuss"". J-Wire. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Mission". Indigenous Coalition for Israel. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b Miriam, Bell (17 December 2021). "AIR New Zealand: Maori for Jewish Indigenousness". AIJAC. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ David Cohen (6 December 2023). "New Zealand's Yoni-come-latelies; On the unusual and enduring relationship between Maoris and Jews". The Spectator Australia.
- ^ "Israel's ambassador welcomed by Te Arawa Iwi in Rotarua [sic]". J-Wire. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Tumamao Harawira (9 December 2023). "Coalition of Māori leaders reject Te Pāti Māori demand". NZ Herald.
- ^ Michael Cugley (12 October 2023). "Wahine Māori caught up in Israeli-Hamas conflict". Te Ao Māori News.
- ^ Trotter, Sheree (2 September 2023). "Zionism is a model for indigenous people – opinion". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Trotter, Sheree (21 April 2021). "Māori and Israelis: Peoples of the land". Times of Israel Blogs. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Trotter, Sheree (29 November 2021). "A Light for the Indigenous Nations". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Trotter, Sheree (16 January 2023). "Jews have indigenous rights to the Temple Mount". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Tumamao Harawira (25 October 2023). "Te Pāti Māori facing criticism for demanding Israeli ambassador be expelled". Te Ao News. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Shannon, Michael (17 December 2021). "AIR New Zealand: Maori for Jewish Indigenousness".
- ^ "MP Alfred Ngaro declares his support for Israel and the Jewish people | One Community". 1.org.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ "Thousands march in pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli rallies across NZ". renews.co.nz. 30 October 2023.
- ^ IINZ (10 April 2023). "Rocket Attacks Against Israel: Joint Press Statememt". Israel Institute of NZ. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Māori Call for Palestine petition gains traction". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
- ^ Strauss, Ilse (24 February 2024). "Jerusalem welcomes opening of world's first Indigenous Embassy". Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Jaffe-Hoffman, Maayan (1 February 2024). "First-ever Indigenous People Embassy in Jerusalem is the 100th embassy opened". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ Pacchiani, Gianluca (2 November 2024). "Indigenous leaders rally in Jerusalem to affirm historical Jewish ties to the land". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 3 November 2024.