Raising a collective indigenous voice in support of Israel,
locally and internationally,
through education and cultural engagement
An International Christian Initiative
DIRECTORS
Hon Alfred Ngaro
Alfred was a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2011 to 2020 and the first Cook Islander elected to Parliament in New Zealand. As an MP, Alfred re-established the Parliamentary Friends of Israel Group. He served as a cabinet minister and was an active advocate on social issues.
Dr Sheree Trotter
Sheree holds a PhD in History from the University of Auckland. In 2012 she co-founded the Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand. She is a researcher and writer whose areas of special interest include NZ, Jewish and Māori history.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
-
Patrick Tupoto Ruka
Pat is a NgaPuhi Kaumatua and has long been active in cultivating the friendship between NgaPuhi and Israel. This is a mandate birthed in 1947 and passed onto Pat by his tupuna.
-
Dr Ate Moala
Dr Moala is Tongan and a Public Health Medicine specialist. She also works alongside her husband as Clinical Director of Pacific Orthopaedics, Wellington, New Zealand.
-
Bradford Haami
Brad is a journalist and media creative involved in Māori storytelling in television, drama, cinema and museum exhibition formats. He is currently a lecturer and freelance author focusing on Māori history and knowledge.
-
Moka Ngaro
Moka is Samoan-Niuean and works closely with her husband Hon Alfred Ngaro.
Powhiri For Israeli Ambassador
A special event organized by a Māori tribe in the north of Aotearoa New Zealand to welcome the new Israeli Ambassador also provided an opportunity to mark Earth Day. The two indigenous peoples exchanged trees native to their lands as a mark of the deepening friendship between the northern iwi Ngapuhi and Israel.
Hon Alfred Ngaro on Zionism
Hon Alfred Ngaro presents the case Zionism for the film series I Am A Zionist. Alfred recorded this video on the grounds of Parliament while serving in New Zealand’s fifth National Government.
Jews, Israel and Indigeneity
On 23 May 2021, during the most recent Israel-Gaza conflict, a solidarity rally was held in central Auckland. Dr Sheree Trotter was among those who spoke to the gathering of around 500. She addressed the often heard argument that Jews are foreigners to the land of Israel, mostly colonisers from Europe.
