David Seymour says there would be some hope of a discussion about recognising Palestine as state if Hamas released the Israeli hostages and demilitarised. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says recognising Palestine as a state is a complex decision that should not be rushed, but "it's a matter of when not if" New Zealand does so.
Seymour said there would be some hope of starting a discussion about recognising a Palestinian state if Hamas released the Israeli hostages and demilitarised.
"New Zealand's government position remains the same as it always has been, it's a matter of when not if we recognise a two state solution and we will be having discussions over the next fortnight or so over whether there should be any change on that position."
France, the United Kingdom, Canada and now Australia, have all declared an intention to recognise a Palestinian state at a United Nations summit next month.
Asked why New Zealand was delaying this decision, Seymour said "we shouldn't assume that other countries are right".
It was a very complex situation and it was important to take time to come to a sound decision, he said.
"It's not just a question of what are you actually recognising, what conditions do you place around that, it's also a question of okay so after you've done this what happens next?"
It was easy to by horrified by the violence in the Palestinian territories shown on television and social media and to be driven to want to take action, he said.
"It doesn't mean that any old solution is the correct one."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins told Morning Report the government was not moving quickly enough on Palestine and recognising Palestine was the right thing to do.
Hipkins said if he had been leading the government a statement recognising Palestine as a state would have come out at the same time as Australia's.
"I think Anthony Albanese actually set out the case for recognising Palestine as a state very well and I think it's starting to look quite embarrassing for New Zealand that the rest of the world has shifted its views pretty rapidly here and we seem to be lagging well behind."
Delay 'unfortunate' - Clark
But former prime minister Helen Clark said New Zealand was in a humiliating position as it trailed behind other countries in recognising Palestine as a state.
Helen Clark told Morning Report New Zealand was being seen "at the back of the crowd".
"The recognition of a Palestinian state right now is a very strong statement of wanting that two state solution to proceed," she said.
"The catastrophe in Gaza which The Elders of which I am a member is now calling an unfolding genocide has totally changed world opinion about this and the view is now that we have to make all efforts to stop the war, get a process going, get the two state solution and recognising now gives that momentum."
New Zealand needed to add its voice to end the catastrophic situation in Gaza, she said.
A foreign policy realignment in New Zealand in favour of the US had had a huge impact on its decisions around Gaza with New Zealand "cuddling right back up again to Washington DC and overly sensitive in everything it thinks", she said.
"This is not the New Zealand I've known for the last 40 years or so where we made up our own mind, we stood on principle, we now really seem to stand for nothing except you know some how wanting to save our own skin in a tariff war."
Recognition was a very strong statement and there was a responsibility to react, Clark said.
It would be unlikely that Hamas would play any role in post-war governance of Gaza, she said.
If a ceasefire was possible there would likely be a technocratic administration by the Palestinian Authority which would then move to elections, she said.
"There may be an international stabilisation force which would go in at the request of the Palestinian Authority - there's elaborate plans that don't include Hamas.
"So I think it's a bit of a red herring now to be talking about Hamas, there are credible plans moving forward."
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