Israeli Embassy on the move ‒ but not all new neighbours happy, despite heightened security promise
Monday, 18 May 2026
News the Israeli embassy is moving to a new Wellington location, with some tenants currently unaware, is drawing parallels to “human shield” allegations made against Hamas.
The Israeli Embassy is on the 13th floor of a Brandon St office block but is soon moving to Ballance St, in a building shared by a number of other organisations, including the French Embassy.
The street outside the current embassy has seen frequent protests, centred around Israel’s actions in Gaza, including paint being thrown, an Israeli passport burning, and a violent altercation. Police have shut the street at times, once after a suspicious package was left outside.
The Post has talked to some of the existing Ballance St tenants who confirmed they were unaware of their incoming neighbour, despite the expected heightened security and protests. The Israeli Embassy has been approached for comment.
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Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Teanau Tuiono said questions needed to be asked about why the embassy chose a multi-storey building shared by non-embassy New Zealanders.
It seemed “close to the ‘human shield’ issue Israel is accusing Hamas of doing”, he believed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its minister, Winston Peters, needed to say what was being done to keep people safe and what consultations took place about the move, Tuiono said.
“Foreign missions operating in Aotearoa can’t just do what they want,” he said.
A statement from Prime Property Group, which owns the Ballance St building, said it had a long history of hosting international and embassy-related organisations.
It confirmed security at the building would be strengthened as was normal for “tenants of this nature”.
“The property already benefits from AI-enabled surveillance systems, and additional physical security measures will be introduced as required. Both the French and Israeli Embassies also have their own independent security arrangements in place.”
No tenants had vacated the building due to the coming of the Israeli Embassy. “Some” had been told.
“We are currently engaging directly with all occupiers to address any questions or concerns they may have,” the statement said, adding there was no legal obligation to notify other tenants. Occupation was not expected in the next couple of months.
Peters’ office referred questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which said it could not comment due to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The French Embassy was approached for comment. It did not respond but The Post confirmed at least two other tenants were unaware the Israeli Embassy was moving in.
Fisher Funds has its name and logo at the top of the building and has offices there. Chief operations officer Chynel James said the company was on Thursday advised the embassy would be taking a floor “at some stage”. This came after The Post asked questions about it.
“We will review further information as it comes to hand,” James said.
Optic Security Group security consultant Nick Dynon said embassies usually had extra security as they were the “emblems” of the countries they represented.
“In most cities internationally, you'd be unlikely to find a diplomatic mission [or] post situated on a ground floor of a commercial building – unless the building is protected by layers of physical security.”
It is understood the embassy will be on one of the mid-levels.
“Ground floors are relatively vulnerable to hostile vehicle and other ground-based threats, and top floors are relatively vulnerable to aerial threats, such as drones.”
Attacks on Israeli staff and synagogues were on the rise internationally and a 2025 report found anti-Semitism incidents in New Zealand went from eight in 2022 to 143 last year, Dynon said.
Eric Crampton, the New Zealand Initiative chief economist, is based one floor down from the current embassy site and said they were good neighbours with their own obvious security. He had never feared for his safety though had been disrupted a couple of times in 14 years by protesters.
Another worker in the current building, who did not want to be identified, said it was a “heavy presence’’ sharing with the Israeli Embassy and the extra security it brought - even if they never felt there was a security threat.
During one false-alarm evacuation, while the building was emptying out, security guards for the embassy were coming up the stairs the other way, the worker said.
Labour foreign affairs spokesperson Vanushi Walters would not comment.
* Correction: A previous version of this story mis-attributed a quote to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and MFAT. It should have been attributed to Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Teanau Tuiono. (Amended May 18, 2026 at 9am)