ACT has welcomed cross‑party support for a parliamentary motion condemning antisemitism, following new data showing a continued rise in antisemitic incidents in New Zealand. The Antisemitism Worldwide Report recorded 143 incidents in 2025, up from 131 in 2024, 134 in 2023, and just eight in 2022—a trend consistent with the global surge in antisemitism seen over the past several years.
All parties in Parliament agreed to ACT’s motion without notice, which stated: “That this House condemn all incidents of antisemitism in New Zealand, and affirm that antisemitism has no place here.”
ACT Leader David Seymour said the unanimous support underscored a shared commitment to social cohesion. “A democratic society works through disagreement with free speech and open debate—not through violence, intimidation, or vandalism,” he said.
Seymour acknowledged that international conflicts can heighten emotions at home, but argued that New Zealand must resist importing hostility. “New Zealanders all have something in common—we or our ancestors crossed thousands of miles of ocean to build lives together at the bottom of the world. Whatever our differences in religion, ancestry, or worldview, our strength as a nation depends on basic respect for each other as neighbours and equal citizens.”
He said antisemitism is too often minimised or excused when it should be confronted directly. “A free society depends on clear rules. You can say what you like, believe what you like, and criticise who you like—but you do not get to threaten or target people for who they are. Parliament should be crystal clear about that. Clarity sets the standard.”
Seymour said today’s motion reinforces New Zealand’s commitment to equal rights and equal protection under the law. “It reaffirms the kind of country we are—one where everyone lives under the same rules, with the same rights and the same protection.”
