New Zealand's Jewish community expects apology from parliamentarian

Although New Zealand member of parliament John Tamihere has apologized to his Labour Party colleagues, the country's Jewish community is still waiting to hear words of "sorry" from the rebel MP. He had said last week in a newspaper interview that he was sick of hearing about Jews being gassed. Jewish Council president David Zwartz said Tamihere must publicly apologize on his own account. He added Jews in New Zealand would certainly welcome and accept such a move. Zwartz said good race relations were based on mutual respect between ethnic groups. His designated successor Stephen Goodman told a newspaper that the Holocaust was not a subject of such fragility and taboo that it should not be discussed by public figures. "I don't see it as a topic, per se, that cannot be mentioned but one that one mentions in proper context," Goodman said. The Jewish community encouraged discussion of the Holocaust, as a means of trying to ensure state- sponsored genocide was never repeated, but due reverence had to be shown to the severity of the event.