Foreign Minister Winston Peters responds to US Senator Ted Cruz’s ‘fake news’ X post
Saturday, 1 February 2025
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called out US Senator Ted Cruz for sharing “fake news” about New Zealand’s visitor visas for Israelis.
Cruz had posted to social media saying, “It's difficult to treat New Zealand as a normal ally within the American alliance system, when they denigrate and punish Israeli citizens for defending themselves and their country from Iranian-controlled terrorists.”
The message was referring to reporting this week about accusations Israelis had been denied visitor visas over their military service.
Cruz linked on X to a post sharing the claims, and to which the deputy prime minister said “we are demanding it be corrected”.
Peters said in his response on X, “Israelis do not need visitor visas to travel to New Zealand, let alone have to declare their military service.”
Immigration New Zealand has denied the claims but has been unable to say whether Israelis were being asked to provide details about their military service when trying to get a visa.
The Times of Israel this week reported Israelis of reserve service age, who applied for New Zealand tourist visas, had been asked if they served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), and whether they were active reservists.
Peters rejected the claims on social media on Saturday, and another barb from Cruz which had said, “New Zealand should be cooperating with Israel in its campaign rather than engaging in these self-indulgent leftwing attacks”.
Peters’ response on X was direct, “This @haaretzcom story is fake news”.
“New Zealanders are a friendly people - and Israelis are very welcome to visit New Zealand. Many do so under our visitor visa waiver programme,” Peters said on X.
“New Zealand & the United States are long-standing, close partners - and we are looking forward building that partnership further under the Trump Administration.”
Cruz, a senator for Texas, has 6.8 million followers on X. Winston Peters’ following was 83,000.