New Zealand city flies Israeli flag in honor of 75th anniversary of establishment

A public rally was held in the city of Hastings, New Zealand on Sunday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

At the rally, in which over 300 people participated, the Israeli flag flew over the city council chambers.

The event included activities such as face-painting and hip-hop dancing as well as balloons and food. Prayer for peace in the region was also offered, as the event occurred shortly after over 1,000 rockets were fired into Israel last week.

Israeli flag flying high at the Hastings Council Chambers in New Zealand - 14 May 2023. Israel, 75 years young pic.twitter.com/52V7O07TUx

— Nigel Woodley (@WoodleyNigel) May 14, 2023

The Flaxmere Christian Fellowship, which is based in Hastings, sponsored the rally.

Antisemitism in New Zealand

The rally in support of Israel comes nearly a year after it was reported that a Jewish organization in New Zealand reported a sharp rise in antisemitism online.

Juliet Moses, a representative for the New Zealand Jewish Council, said last year that many of the comments online refer to the Holocaust – such as “Hitler was right,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.” 

Jews living in New Zealand stated in October of last year that the most common form of antisemitism they experience is related to Israel and to anti-Zionism, according to the local human rights group "Humanity Matters." 

Jews make up just 0.2% of New Zealanders, but two-thirds of New Zealand Jews said that they have experienced antisemitism on social media in the last three years. More than half the Jews living there said they encountered antisemitic misinformation or disinformation which was related to Israel and anti-Zionism.

Zvika Klein contributed to this report.