Police looking into threatening social media activity linked to 'Genocide Hotline'

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

Activist John Minto posted an poster for a 'Genocide Hotline' to help 'track' IDF soldiers and Israeli reservists on holiday in New Zealand.

Police are investigating social media activity related to a “Genocide Hotline.”

The hotline was in a Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa leaflet and people could call if they came across IDF soldiers or Israeli reservists in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Jewish Council said the hotline “crosses a line”, and has called for political condemnation and a police investigation.

Police are looking into threatening social media activity related to a “Genocide Hotline” being promoted by activist John Minto, Stuff can reveal.

Minto last week posted a Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) leaflet, advertising a “Genocide Hotline” people could call if they came across IDF soldiers or Israeli reservists. Israeli soldiers are holidaying in New Zealand, the poster said.

“We need your help to track them down so we can let them know they are not welcome here,” it also states.

New Zealand Jewish Council President Juliet Moses has called for police to investigate the hotline.

New Zealand Jewish Council President Juliet Moses said the hotline “crosses a line”, and called for political condemnation and a police investigation.

On Wednesday, a Police spokesman told Stuff officers were looking into a matter regarding the hotline.

“Police are liaising with a person after reports of a threatening message posted to social media,” he said.

“Police intelligence became aware of the message soon after it was posted online, and since then Police have received a small number of reports from members of the public.”

Minto says the hotline is a way of “taking matters into out own hands”.

Stuff requested further details, including the nature of the social media activity, but Superintendent Tony Hill said he could not provide further information.

“While it appears to be from a social media post, we’re not able to comment further until we have made enquiries into the matter,” he added.

Hill also declined to comment on the possibility of charges, given the matter was still being looked into.

On Tuesday, Minto told Stuff PSNA was “taking matters into our own hands” amid dissatisfaction with the New Zealand Government’s response. PSNA had previously called on the Government to suspend visas for Israeli soldiers.

Minto said PSNA had written to South Island backpackers’ accommodation to alert them to the campaign.

Asked what PSNA intended to do if it tracked down an individual, Minto said “we tell them they’re not welcome here”.

“Engaging in a conversation, explaining why civil society in New Zealand is appalled [about] the fact that they’re here,” he said.

But Moses said she expected to see condemnation of the poster from “across the political spectrum”.

The hotline was “ incitement to violence” and “vigilante justice”, she added.

“We would like the police to look at whether it is a chargeable offence,” Mose said.

“More importantly is the broader issue of the position that the Jewish community is in and, as we’ve sort tried to point out, the escalating anti-Semitism of which this is obviously a very sort of conspicuous and disturbing example.”