Relationship dossier
Israel
New Zealand
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic ties persist amid recurring disputes over Israeli settlements and a past passport-affair rupture.
Israel toward New Zealand
-25Israeli agents' use of New Zealand passports led New Zealand to impose diplomatic sanctions in 2004. Israel later apologized, and diplomatic relations were restored. Israel also temporarily suspended ties with New Zealand after New Zealand supported the 2016 Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements.
New Zealand toward Israel
-25New Zealand co-sponsored the 2016 United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity. In 2024, it imposed travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers and has condemned Hamas's October 2023 attacks.
Overall relationship
-20The relationship has endured despite recurrent diplomatic friction. The 2004 passport affair and New Zealand's support for a 2016 Security Council resolution prompted sharp Israeli responses, while New Zealand's later travel restrictions on extremist settlers reflect continued disagreement over Israeli settlement policy. Diplomatic engagement and New Zealand's condemnation of Hamas's attacks provide some countervailing elements.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Israel and New Zealand maintain diplomatic relations, but bilateral ties have faced significant political friction. Disputes include the use of New Zealand passports by Israeli agents and New Zealand's support for a 2016 United Nations Security Council resolution criticizing Israeli settlements. New Zealand has also imposed travel restrictions on extremist Israeli settlers. These issues coexist with diplomatic engagement and New Zealand's condemnation of Hamas's October 2023 attacks.
Areas of tension
- Israeli agents' use of New Zealand passports in 2004
- New Zealand's support for the 2016 Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements
- Israeli settlement policy and New Zealand's travel bans on extremist settlers
Key developments
New Zealand imposed diplomatic sanctions after Israeli agents were found to have used New Zealand passports; Israel later apologized and relations were restored.
New Zealand co-sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 on Israeli settlements; Israel temporarily suspended ties with New Zealand in response.
New Zealand imposed travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of routine bilateral cooperation beyond diplomatic engagement is unclear.
- The longer-term effects of recent disagreements over settlements on bilateral ties are uncertain.