New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
5 April 2024
195 Lambton Quay
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
Katrina Tamaira
T +64 4 439 8000
[FYI request #26169 email]
F +64 4 472 9596
OIA 29239
Tēnā koe Katrina Tamaira
I refer to your email of 20 March 2024 in which you request the following under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
‘As of March 2024, does MFAT know:
- If New Zealand citizens work within the Israeli Defense Forces.
- If known, how many, or an estimate, New Zealand citizens are currently serving and on active
duty.
- If known, how many, or an estimate, New Zealand citizens are currently serving in Gaza and
the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
- Does the Ministry know if New Zealand citizens have been engaged in activity in Gaza or
the West Bank that many contravene the Genocide Convention, activity that was recently
the subject of an International Court of Justice ruling brought by government of South
Africa.’
Your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the OIA, as the information requested is not held
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry), and we have no reason to believe that
the information is held by another department or public organisation subject to the OIA.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information
requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your personal information
removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-
us/official-information-act-responses/
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
e [MFAT request email]
w www.mfat.govt.nz
