PFLP-linked New Zealand party running on Palestine platform enters election, sparking concern

The newly registered Palestine Free from the River to the Sea Party, led by Paul Hopkinson, who also serves as the national spokesperson for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) campaign in New Zealand, is contesting the upcoming New Zealand general elections. The party, which advocates for the dismantling of Israel and the return of Palestinian refugees, secured registration despite over 200 opposing submissions and has been allocated nearly NZ$79,000 in taxpayer-funded election broadcasting money. Hopkinson stated, "As is clear from the party's principles, we offer unconditional support for all forms of Palestinian resistance, including armed resistance." The party's platform and name, which uses a controversial slogan, have raised concerns among Jewish community leaders and the Israel Institute of New Zealand, who anticipate that "Zionism, Israel's continued existence and Jewish national self-determination, to become election issues." This development occurs amidst a reported rise in antisemitic incidents in New Zealand, with the New Zealand Jewish Council noting that antisemitism has become "tolerated or even endorsed by persons of social and political importance and other leaders."