KEY POINTS:
Australia's longest serving foreign minister, Alexander Downer, has ignited a behind-scenes debate here over just what position Western democracies should take to Israel's right to defend itself against Iranian threats.
While the Western world debates what steps should be taken to deter Iran from carrying out threats to
wipe Israel from the earth, New Zealand's foreign affairs triumvirate - Helen Clark, Phil Goff and Winston Peters - remain relatively silent.
Downer used an Auckland dinner celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary, to repeat his message that the democratic state had been created by United Nations resolution. "Israel has a right to exist and bloody well defend itself against terror ... that's the point about democracy."
The politician who boasts a bloodline proudly soaked in Australian Liberal party politics has resigned from federal politics.
Australia - under Downer's leadership - repeatedly went to bat at the United Nations for Israel's rights to erect a wall to defend its citizens from Palestinian suicide bombers. Downer observes he was cautioned by Australia's then top UN diplomat John Dauth (now High Commissioner to New Zealand) that Australia would be one of six member countries to oppose a motion against Israel.
But he is likely to become an outspoken advocate of United Nations reform - particularly over how to address the UN's failure to prevent genocidal episodes, including those generated by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Clark got prissy when Downer spoke to National's annual conference last year, claiming he was undermining her Government, even though former British deputy PM John Prescott had addressed Labour's own conference.
But I suspect the real reason why Clark did not want Downer unleashed in front of National delegates (or New Zealand media) is because his is the kind of coherent conservative voice that is not often heard here. He is passionate about human rights and democratic freedoms and unafraid to argue his corner with strenuous conviction.
It's worth noting that members of the Jewish community - and senior (Gentile) business people at the dinner - later said that Downer should come across more frequently given the paucity of debate here.
They have a point. National MPs like Murray McCully keep silent rather than risk giving oxygen to Peters in case National needs NZ First to make up the numbers in a post-election deal.
But this lily-livered approach results in a distorted picture of the real foreign affairs debate being strenuously argued elsewhere.
Downer clearly has considerable respect for Goff with whom (as he revealed this week) he had approached the British and American Governments to try and get them to introduce a resolution into the UN Security Council to send Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and "his henchmen" to the International Criminal Court to face murder charges.
That approach failed. But Downer is again pushing to get it on the agenda via back-door diplomatic channels, arguing the UN has failed in its doctrine of responsibility to protect people around the world who are being subjected to mass murder and deliberate deprivation.
At the 60th anniversary dinner, Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem delivered a strong message that Israel wants New Zealand to stand up for human rights around the world.
The subtext (delivered more directly in a subsequent official foreign affairs consultation in Wellington) was that New Zealand should take a more condemnatory approach to Iran, not just beat-up on Israel.
Neither Goff nor Peters responded to approaches for comment on Rotem's high-level messaging.
Within the Israeli community, there are concerns that neither politician wants to say anything on record that might disturb New Zealand's campaign for a seat on the two-year-old United Nations Human Rights Council.
But Beehive officials say travel disruption at Wellington Airport meant that Rotem's meeting with Peters was cut short and the resultant meeting was not all-embracing. Goff's media availability has been constrained due to a family bereavement.
The unfortunate upshot is a perception that neither politician wants to speak frankly about Iran in case New Zealand's UN campaign is jeopardised by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference which is one of the dominant forces on the rights council.
The council - which includes a number of serial rights abusers - has been criticised by the Economist for making a fetish out of one-sided Israel bashing. Its Islamic members have succeeded in passing a resolution saying free speech could be limited out of respect for religions and beliefs.
There is an unfortunate pattern emerging. If New Zealand puts its trade interests centre-stage, but only plays a strong bat on democratic infringements when they involve small basket-cases like Fiji, what do we stand for?
On Thursday, Downer announced his well-telegraphed retirement from federal politics to form a consultancy, Bespoke Approach, with former Labor senator Nick Bolkus. But Downer is expected to be confirmed soon as special UN envoy for Cyprus and will continue to be a public voice on foreign affairs through his new blog.
Read it - it's probably the closest you'll get to obtaining a true conservative perspective than anything served up by National here.
