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• Reviewed: 14 June 2023, 11:11 NZST
• Still current at: 28 April 2024
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• Travelling as a Dual Citizen Reviewed: 21 January 2020, 11:58 NZDT
• Aviation security enhancements for flights to the United States and United Kingdom Updated: 22 March 2017, 16:08 NZDT
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If you are planning international travel at this time, please read our COVID-19 related travel advice here , alongside our destination specific travel advice below.

Exercise increased caution

Exercise increased caution in the United Kingdom due to the threat of terrorism (level 2 of 4).

Terrorism There is a heightened threat of terrorism across Europe, including in the United Kingdom.

New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are advised to take account of the terrorism threat level assigned by the United Kingdom Security Service when making travel decisions. There is also an enduring threat of Northern Ireland-related terrorism.

The UK has a long history of terrorist attacks which have caused multiple deaths and injuries.

On 14 November 2021, there was an explosion outside a hospital in Liverpool, killing one person.

On 29 November 2019, a stabbing attack took place near London Bridge killing two people and injuring three others.

On 14 August 2018, a vehicle drove into the barriers outside the Houses of Parliament in London, injuring two people.

On 15 September 2017, there was an explosion at Parsons Green Underground Tube Station in London, causing a number of injuries.

On 3 June 2017, a terror attack took place on London Bridge and nearby Borough Market killing seven people and injuring a number of others.

On 22 May 2017, an attack at a music concert held at the Manchester Arena killed 22 people with over 100 others injured.

On 22 March 2017, an attacker drove a vehicle through pedestrians before stabbing a police officer near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, also killing three people and injuring a number of others.

Terrorist groups, individuals returning to the United Kingdom and Europe from areas of conflict, and individuals adhering to various forms of violent extremist ideologies, continue to make threats to conduct attacks in the United Kingdom and across Europe. There is also a threat from domestic-based violent extremists. Groups adhering to various violent extremist ideologies have conducted attacks in the past, some have been indiscriminate; targeting places of worship, government buildings and areas frequented by foreigners including transport hubs, major events and tourist areas.

New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are advised to be vigilant, particularly in public places. Follow any instructions issued by local authorities and stay informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local information sources. United Kingdom security personnel maintain an increased presence in public places as a precautionary measure.

Northern Ireland Although the political situation in Northern Ireland has improved since the 1998 peace agreement, incidents of violence continue to occur. Attacks primarily target Northern Ireland security forces and law enforcement, but banks and other commercial entities have also been targeted in the past.

From late March 2021, there have been a number of incidents including street violence, rioting, and attacks on police that have occurred in west and south Belfast, Londonderry and areas of County Antrim.

The annual summer marching parades which occur during the period April to August, and particularly on and around 12 July, have the potential to turn violent. We recommend you avoid them.

Crime Petty crime such as bag and mobile phone snatching, pickpocketing and mugging is common, especially in urban centers, tourist locations and on public transport. Thieves sometimes impersonate undercover police officers. We advise New Zealanders to be alert to their surroundings at all times and take steps to safeguard their personal belongings. Vehicle theft and theft from parked vehicles are known to occur. Knife-related crime and drink and drug-spiking is prevalent across the United Kingdom and can lead to sexual assault. The Met Police has advice on personal safety.

Only use licensed taxi or transport services. There have been reports of travellers being sexually assaulted and mugged in unlicensed taxis and minicabs. Transport for London maintains a website with additional information on how to travel safer within London.

Beware of ATM and credit card fraud. Avoid using ATMs that look temporary in structure or location, and only use ATMs in well-lit public areas or inside banks. Visit Action Fraud for more information about fraud and cybercrime in the United Kingdom.

Civil Unrest We recommend you avoid all protests and demonstrations as civil disorder can quickly escalate and result in property damage and violence. Keep aware of your surroundings and monitor media to keep up to date with any developments.

General Travel Advice Immigration regulations are strictly enforced in the United Kingdom. For more information, see the official UK Visa and Immigration website.

New Zealanders travelling or living in the United Kingdom should have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place.

The devolved nations of Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland provide their own advice and guidance.  Refer to local authorities for the latest information. 

New Zealanders in the United Kingdom are encouraged to register their details with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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The New Zealand High Commission London, United Kingdom

Street Address 1 Pall Mall East, London, SW1Y 5AU, United Kingdom Telephone +44 20 7930 8422 Fax +44 20 7839 4580 Email [email protected] Web Site https://www.mfat.govt.nz/de/countries-and-regions/europe/united-kingdom/new-zealand-high-commission/ Hours Mon - Fri 0900 - 1700 hrs

New Zealand Honorary Consulate Belfast, United Kingdom

Postal Address Glendinning House, 6 Murray Street, Belfast BT1 6DN Telephone +44 (0) 7712 188773 Email [email protected]

New Zealand Honorary Consulate Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Postal Address 40 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8JB, United Kingdom Telephone +44 (0)131 222 8109 Email [email protected]

See our regional advice for Europe

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New zealand high commission united kingdom.

Telephone: +44 20 7930 8422

Fax: +44 20 7839 4580

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/de/countries-and-regions/europe/united-kingdom/new-zealand-high-commission/

Hours: Mon - Fri 0900 - 1700 hrs

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New Zealand

Before you travel check that:

• your destination can provide the healthcare you may need
• you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation

This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.

Emergency medical number

Call 111 and ask for an ambulance.

Contact your insurance company promptly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.

Vaccinations and health risks

At least 8 weeks before your trip check:

• the latest information on vaccinations and health risks in TravelHealthPro’s New Zealand guide
• where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the NHS travel vaccinations page

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.

Read best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro .

The NHS has information on whether you can take your medicine abroad .

You must declare any prescription medicines on your passenger arrival card. All products containing codeine are classified as prescription-only medication (a controlled drug). You can import controlled drugs for personal use, but you must declare them on arrival to the Customs Service and provide evidence that they are for personal use.

See New Zealand Customs for more information on restrictions on medication.

Healthcare facilities in New Zealand

British nationals who live in the UK and who are on a short-term visit to New Zealand are eligible for urgent healthcare treatment under the reciprocal health agreement with New Zealand . This agreement does not extend to routine, non-emergency medical treatment including prescriptions.

FCDO has a list of medical facilities in New Zealand .

There is also guidance on healthcare if you’re living in New Zealand .

COVID-19 healthcare in New Zealand

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you can get health advice and information by calling Healthline (free) on 0800 358 5453. COVID-19 tests and treatment are free of charge.

Travel and mental health

Read FCDO guidance on travel and mental health . There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro .

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9 things only New Zealand locals know

Oct 12, 2023 • 8 min read

Peak UV levels can be 40% higher in New Zealand than similar North American latitudes, so sunscreen is a must-have © nazar_ab / Getty Images

While I was born and bred here in  New Zealand – or Aotearoa, the country's Māori-language name – I’ve spent enough years away to understand how it’s a destination that can feel comfortingly familiar and completely strange to visitors all at once. 

The butter is bright, beta-carotene yellow. Pies are filled with meat. You usually go up to the counter to pay for your meal. Never, ever sit on a table – it’s a taboo that has spread from Māori to the wider population.  

But this diverse country of boiling mud pools, soaring mountains, subtropical beaches, rainforests and friendly people will make you feel – well, "sweet-as." (Yes, that means good.) Here are some things to know before going to New Zealand. 

1. New Zealand’s weather may be relatively mild – but it also has the potential to be wild

An archipelago in the Pacific, New Zealand is a long, skinny country moored in tempestuous oceans heavily influenced by Antarctica. Its landmass stretches between 34 and 47 degrees south – the rough equivalent of northern Morocco to southern France – and the climate is often compared to Britain’s. 

What does this all mean? The weather can turn bad quickly. It pays to pack for all seasons, with a hat and sunscreen being must-haves. New Zealand’s peak UV levels can be 40% higher than those in similar North American latitudes, thanks in part to its clean air. For some, a blistering burn can happen in minutes and will ruin your holiday for a good week or more. In summer, perhaps plan shadier activities, such as museums, for the peak hours of the day.  

2. It’s okay to dress down

Casualness rules in New Zealand, even in urban areas. Depending on what region you’re in, even a wedding might see some Kiwis in jeans, their cleanest bush shirt (a tough woolen shirt) and gumboots (rubber boots) or jandals (flip flops). This is unremarkable.

Something particularly disconcerting to travelers is New Zealanders’ penchant for bare feet. When you’re out of the main cities you’ll see tough-soled Kiwis hot-stepping over bubbling tarmac and strolling through the supermarket unshod. Feel free to pack casual clothes. 

3. What do you mean, there’s no bus?

Unbelievably, New Zealand’s public transport  was arguably far better in the mid-20th century. But with many tram and railways ripped up for the sake of roads, the country has become very car-dependent. 

With a population of only 5.2 million living on a landmass the size of Italy, car culture is proving difficult to shake. While cycling and public transport are making strong incursions, outside of Auckland there is nowhere near the density, quality, affordability and regularity of public transport you may be used to at home. Many New Zealand towns do not even have Uber or other rideshare apps. 

With that being said, the country is reasonably well set up for visitors. For example, there are regular shuttle services to popular tourist destinations, such as Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves – but it pays to plan your transport well ahead.

4. Biculturalism is at the heart of Aotearoa’s culture

Unlike many colonized nations, in 1840 the British Crown signed a founding treaty, the  Treaty of Waitangi  with Indigenous Māori, who have lived in New Zealand since at least the 1300s. Although colonization’s effect on Māori continues to spark debate and protest, the result is that modern New Zealand is a strongly bicultural nation. Te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) is an integral part of even everyday interactions. This is evident to visitors, who have countless Indigenous-led tours, eateries and experiences to choose from. 

To show respect, ask about local iwi (tribe) customs. As an example, don’t stand on the summit of maunga (mountains) including Ngāuruhoe (Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings films) or Taranaki, if you go for a hike. As the head of an ancestor, mountain tops are regarded as tapu (sacred). New Zealand’s most famous son, Sir Edmund Hillary, may have said “we knocked the bastard off” when he and Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest in 1953, but modern travelers don’t have to. 

Many place names and road signs are also in te reo Māori (the Māori language). When it comes to speaking it, Kiwis will appreciate you trying to pronounce the words as accurately as possible. ("Wh," for example, is generally pronounced "F.")  An online pronunciation guide or podcast can help you with some of the more unfamiliar sounds; try Everyday Māori .

5. If you want to make local friends, ask about our birds 

New Zealanders absolutely love talking about their native birds and will immediately consider you a "good sort" (a kind and likable person) if you show interest. 

But prepare to settle in. From tūī, kererū (wood pigeons),  pīwakawaka (fantails) or whio (blue ducks), everyone has their favorite. Conservation organization Forest and Bird even runs a hotly contested Bird of the Year competition.

We love our birds because we understand how precious they are. Many are endangered, some critically so. New Zealand was a paradise of birds before people arrived around the 1300s, bringing with them rats, pigs, dogs, stoats, mice, cats, rabbits, weasels and possums. These have wreaked havoc and sent biodiversity  plummeting ; in the last 1,000 years, 40 indigenous species have become extinct. (Thank goodness early settlers did not introduce the mongoose to control the rabbit population, as was suggested in the 19th century.) 

The country is currently in the first 10 years of its Predator Free 2050 strategy, which aims to wipe out as many introduced mammals as possible by 2050. It is hugely ambitious and has resulted in a massive groundswell of support as everyday Kiwis exercise their bloodlust, setting rat traps in the backyard.

As a traveler, you'll encounter many tourism operators doing the same. You can learn more about these efforts as you zipline across regenerating forests at Rotorua Canopy Tours or stay at Maruia River Retreat , which is in the process of converting to a fully electric resort powered by renewable sources. Projects are even popping up where tourists can help check traplines, such as Tongariro River Rafting's Blue Duck Experience .

Predator-free bird sanctuaries abound in many areas, including the  Zealandia  sanctuary in Wellington, a sprawling and peaceful city oasis where you may be lucky enough to see wild kiwi on a guided night tour. 

6. ACC is a wonder – but not a replacement for travel insurance

One of the most humane things about New Zealand is its no-fault accident compensation scheme, ACC . Fall and break your leg skiing? Get a bit banged-up on a big night out? It doesn’t matter whose fault it is and that you’re a tourist; if it’s an accident, your medical care is free. 

Of course, you’ll need to have your own travel insurance. There are a lot of things – such as travel delays or extra accommodation needs – that ACC won’t cover if you get injured. 

7. New Zealand is generally safe, but… 

 New Zealand is a safe and welcoming country, but crime happens. For travelers, avoiding downtown clubbing areas after midnight is a good way to avoid most problems. Tourist vans can be a goldmine for thieves, and targeted especially when parked at freedom camping sites. 

Many travelers have had an unfortunate souvenir of their time in New Zealand: a local newspaper article about how they lost everything in a break-in, ruining their dream Kiwi holiday. If you need urgent help, the emergency number is 111. 

8. Pies are savory, not sweet

Kiwis love international cuisine, and you should be able to find something vaguely familiar to eat, especially in the main centers. But try a few quintessentially New Zealand treats, too. Other than the fun you’ll have browsing the supermarket and trying every block of Whittaker’s chocolate on the market, roadside eateries (called "tearooms") and cafes offer a range of snacks. 

One of the most filling and affordable small meals is a savory pie, sold just about everywhere. They’re golden, crispy pastry cases with fillings like butter chicken, mince (beef) and cheese, and steak and mushroom. Hint: The best pies are made in the local bakery. To get a winner, choose pies sold in plain white paper bags (not branded plastic) and bite into it straight from the bag. 

If you’re down south and spot cheese rolls on the menu, try them, too. Known as "Southland sushi," a magical alchemy occurs when white bread is spread with a mix of grated cheese, evaporated milk, onion and other flavorings, like mustard or garlic, then rolled, brushed with butter and toasted into an oozy, golden delight. 

"Slices" are also popular and similar to what Americans call "bars." A cross between a tart and a cookie with a topping or two, they’re baked or refrigerated in a square tin and cut into squares or rectangles. Popular slices are peppermint, caramel (millionaire bar), tan square (caramel shortcake) and the unbeatable ginger crunch. 

Lolly cake is another favorite: a coconut-malt, no-bake cookie studded with colorful marshmallow-like fruit puffs.

9. Driving is very different in New Zealand

Unlike the wide, multi-lane expressways of other countries, many of our major roads are only dual carriageway or a two-way divided highway. They’re often winding and hilly, with the added obstacles of construction and "slips" (a Kiwi word for landslides).

Before you head off, check NZTA for potential road closures. Take care not to plan an overly ambitious road-trip itinerary , such as driving from Auckland to Cape Reinga in a day with stops for activities along the way. That might look like five-and-a-half hours on Google Maps, but it’ll probably be slow and exhausting. There’s no such thing as setting the cruise control and chilling out, letting drivers pass on the lanes around you.

You'll need your wits about you, particularly if it is your first experience driving on the left. When everyone’s driving in single file, people get frustrated. Kiwi drivers can follow too close for comfort, pass aggressively and have a particular disdain for camper vans. 

If you’re feeling nervous and notice a long line of cars behind you, you’ll be more relaxed if you regularly pull over where it’s safe and let the line of impatient locals pass. At least they’ll give a friendly toot of thanks.

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New Zealanders visiting the UK will soon have to pay an ETA before travel

Thomas Bywater

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The UK has announced intentions to require an ETA fee from travellers by 2025. Photo / Sabrina Mazzeo, Unsplash

New Zealanders planning on visiting the United Kingdom will soon have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly.

Similar to the NZeTA which tourists from visa waiver countries must apply for before travelling to New Zealand, the UK government announced its intention to introduce an ETA no later than 2025.

“The scheme will give the UK more control of our borders, allowing us to block threats from entering the UK, whilst also providing individuals, and carriers with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel to the UK,” says the UK Home Office regarding the Nationality and Borders Bill .

All visitors from the “visa waiver” countries must first apply and pay for the digital travel authorisation before travel, apart from citizens of the UK or Ireland.

This decision sees the UK joining other countries which have introduced digital travel permits for visitors who would normally be “visa exempt” or granted a visa on arrival.

New Zealand, the USA, Canada and Australia already require electronic travel applications for visitors from certain nations on short trips.

The cost of the UK’s proposed ETA has not yet been announced. However, the Home Office says it will be up to airlines and carriers to check. Visitors trying to travel without an ETA will be refused boarding their plane.

“To be fully effective, individuals’ permissions must be checked by their carrier and confirmed prior to travel.”

The European Union is set to introduce its own digital travel authority, the ETIAS, by the end of the year after delays caused by the pandemic. The EU travel authority will cost €7 ($11).

ETA errors and exploitation

The relatively recent requirements of digital travel authorisations - which must be applied for online prior to travel - have opened up travellers to exploitation and errors.

The US was one of the first to introduce its Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) in 2010. Travellers searching to apply for an authority online will often find third party “Esta services” promoted above official US Customs and Borders Protection sites.

In 2019 the Herald revealed that some third party services were charging up to ten times more for an ESTA in commissions.

The US Consulate has warned travellers of “ESTA fraud” and to always apply via the official government portal.

Despite not being required until next year, non government websites have already appeared advising and, in some cases, charging for European ETIAS processing.

Other travellers find themselves paying extra for expedited services , not realising they need an ETA for their destination or for a country they are transiting.

Another issue with the electronic travel authorisations is that they are checked by carriers en route to a destination but are not required to book travel.

In some cases it has cost unprepared or ill-informed travellers expensive international fares, after they are refused boarding by airlines.

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isite Visitor Information Centres

isite Dunedin, Dunedin

By Camilla Rutherford

isite is New Zealand's official visitor information network with over 50 isites nationwide.

With over 350 expert staff scattered across New Zealand, your local isite visitor centre (opens in new window) is there to answer your questions, provide free maps and point you in the right direction.

The experts can assist with taking care of your transport bookings including, bus, rail and rental car and domestic flights.

Staff can provide advice about the best things to see and do, where to stay, where to eat like a local, events in the area and how to get the most out of your visit including weather and safety information.

Get local information and advice

isites can help you with all aspects of your trip planning. 

• Itinerary planning and information 
• Local and nationwide bookings
• Free maps, weather and mountain safety information
• Many isites offer free Wi-Fi
• Local information on events, attractions and restaurants
• Most isites have staff who speak multiple languages

Visit isite.nz  to find and contact your nearest isite or download a copy of the  isite Touring Map (PDF) (opens in new window)

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Israeli pressure delayed Freedom Flotilla’s departure for Gaza: Organisers

Organisers say the initiative aims to challenge Israel’s 17-year-old blockade and put an end to the ongoing ‘genocide’.

A flotilla of ships set to depart for the Gaza Strip on Friday to bring aid to Palestinians has been stranded in Turkey due to administrative roadblocks, as organisers say Israel has been exerting political pressure to impede the voyage.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Israel was pressuring the Republic of Guinea Bissau to withdraw its flag from its lead ship, the Akdeniz, which triggered a request for an additional inspection by the flag state.

Keep reading

‘gaza’s entrepreneurs are being killed by israel’, gaza’s orphans: pain without borders, photos: israel’s war on gaza’s children.

Ann Wright, a retired US Army colonel and State Department official and one of the organisers of the Flotilla, said the ship had passed all inspections in Turkey and was ready to set sail.

The further checks demanded by Guinea Bissau were “a political play on the part of Israel” to stall the departure of the three-ship convoy carrying 5,000 tonnes of aid and more than 500 participants from 40 countries on board.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has twice ordered unhindered access for aid to Gaza as part of provisional measures to prevent the crime of genocide – of which Israel stands accused in a case brought by South Africa.

Yet, an Israeli blockade limits the entrance of UN-coordinated food convoys to the war-torn enclave as famine looms.

Should Guinea Bissau deny permission, Wright said Israel and its ally, the United States, would attempt to pressure whichever country they would attempt to register the ship under.

‘What happens if Mama dies?’

While the humanitarian importance of the Flotilla cannot be overstated, organisers say its main aim is to “break the siege” of Gaza by defying a blockade set in place in 2007 and tightened since Hamas’ October 7 attack.

The mission comes with a great deal of personal risk for the participants – activists, veterans, media representatives and people from all walks of life who volunteered to join the grassroots initiative.

Palestinian-American activist and international lawyer Huwaida Arraf has left her nine-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son behind to board the Freedom Flotilla, headed for the Gaza Strip on a mission to bring aid to Palestinians and break through an Israeli blockade on humanitarian access to the war-torn enclave.

In May 2010, the six-vessel Freedom Flotilla I was intercepted by the Israeli navy, with Israeli commandos who boarded the Turkish lead ship the Mavi Marmara, opening fire and killing nine activists .

But the volunteers on board today are determined nonetheless.

“My husband told me the other day that my daughter asked him: ‘What happens if Mama dies? Would it be ok if this was going to help people?’” Arraf says.

“It’s sad that she has to think about that, but that’s the world we live in and that’s definitely not the world I want to pass on to them.”

Arraf, who was on previous flotillas to Gaza and co-founded the non-violent International Solidarity Movement (ISM), says that the Flotilla’s primary aim is to “challenge the political realities that leave Palestinians in need of aid” by breaking through the blockade that started in 2007 and has tightened since October 7.

She argues that breaking an illegal blockade cannot be unlawful.

“We won’t be getting close to Israel’s territorial waters, therefore they don’t have a right to intercept us [or harm us],” the lawyer says.

“We’re trying to get all eyes on the Flotilla to make sure the world knows and Israel knows we’re coming so that they can’t fire a missile on us and say it was unintentional.”

Israel has said the naval blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas and other fighters in Gaza. It is currently pounding the Strip in a relentless war in retaliation for a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Only weeks ago, seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed in Israeli attacks , in one of the starkest examples of the dangers of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Israeli military said the several attacks that killed the WCK staff on April 1 had been a “mistake”.

Since October 2023, more than 200 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza, making it the most dangerous place in the world to be an aid worker.

‘I could not turn away’

Another mother on board is Wynd Kaufmyn, a retired Jewish-American university lecturer in engineering who is taking the mission “very seriously” but expects to “come back in one piece”.

Her daughter, Kaufmyn tells Al Jazeera, lost her father four years ago and she did not want her to be bereaved again.

“But I think of the people in Gaza who lost all their families.

They’re hungry, they’re suffering and I’m doing what I consider the best to help stop this genocide,” the 66-year-old says.

“We know that there is the possibility that [the Israeli military] will board us and take control of the ship to deport us, and we don’t expect them to treat us gently in the process,” she continues.

“It’s a little scary, but I know this is where I need to be.”

Participants were required to undertake non-violent training before departure to equip them to respond peacefully to any scenario.

Kaufmyn’s pro-Palestinian activism has already come at great personal cost. She was brought up in Detroit, Michigan’s Jewish community where support for Israel is staunch.

In 2002, following the second Intifada, Kaufmyn decided to stop skirting the subject of Palestine and travelled to the region.

“I saw with my own eyes what was going on there and I could not turn away,” she says.

She embarked on the path of activism that turned her into a “proud anti-Zionist Jew”, but her choice opened a rift with her now-deceased parents and her favourite uncle, as well as her two sisters.

“I called my twin sister two nights ago because I was going on this journey,” Kaufmyn says, referring to her decision to join the Freedom Flotilla.

“She said she doesn’t understand why I want to annihilate Israel.”

Her sister’s rebuke was painful, a stark reminder of the polarising narrative around the war in Gaza that is dividing the US.

“I’m going to try and stop a genocide and bring food to starving people, it has nothing to do with annihilating anyone,” Kaufmyn argues.

“I come from a Jewish background and when we say: ‘Never again,’ it’s ‘Never again’ for anybody.”

Diplomatic tensions

Diplomatic efforts on the part of Western governments to prevent the flotilla’s departure, originally scheduled for mid-April, have included attempts to pressure Turkey into denying permission to leave port, organisers say.

The US Department of State coordinator for counterterrorism, Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, was in Ankara this week. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also travelled to the Turkish capital on a three-day visit.

Wright, who resigned from her State Department position in opposition to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, tells Al Jazeera that the governments of the US, UK and Germany had pressured Turkey to block the departure.

“These governments for some reason think they have to protect Israel,” she says. “There’s long-term guilt from 75 years ago and, for the US, there’s an ongoing campaign by Zionists and other supporters of the State of Israel” to maintain US government support.

During a meeting with Steinmeier on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his accusation that the West is turning a blind eye to the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

“We do not intend to harm any Israeli, we just intend to highlight the fact that Israel is still committing genocide and that the US is cooperating,” Wright says.