PSNA Newsletter No 102 - August 22 2023
22 Here-turi-kōkā 2023
822August 2023
Newsletter No 102
Kia ora koutou,
After more than a year of talking about a visit to Palestine, and several false starts, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has finally called off a proposed trip to Palestine before October’s election citing “scheduling problems”.
This is deeply disappointing – Palestinians are being told once more to go to the back of the queue.
With opinion polls as they are in the leadup to October’s national election it is unlikely Nanaia Mahuta will ever get to Palestine as Foreign Minister.
Abandoning the visit will be welcomed by the pro-Israel lobby who do their best, often very successfully, to keep Israel’s racist, apartheid policies and practices out of public discussion in New Zealand. It will also be quietly welcomed by many in Wellington’s government bureaucracy who want to see New Zealand policy on the Middle East mirror US policy. In other words, they want us to be quiet as Israel continues its military occupation of Palestine, its ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities and its theft of Palestinian land. They want us to give Israel ongoing impunity for its violations of international law and United Nations resolutions. They want New Zealand to continue to give Israel a free pass for its blatant violations of human rights.
A visit by the Foreign Minister should have led to the government changing direction and beginning to hold Israel to account for its egregious violations of Palestinian human rights.
Something you can do right now with a few clicks…
Send a message to Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta expressing disappointment at the cancellation of her visit to Palestine. You can write your own note or copy and paste this note into an email.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nanaia Mahuta
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Parliament Buildings Wellington
n.mahuta@ministers.govt.nz
Kia ora Minister,
Sending Palestinians to the back of the queue again
I am deeply disappointed at the cancellation of your proposed trip to the Middle East before October’s election.
Your proposed visit was an opportunity to shift New Zealand policy so that we stand with the oppressed people of Palestine and hold Israel to account for its racist, apartheid policies.
“Scheduling problems” should never be a reason for New Zealand to fail to stand up for Palestinian human rights, and to hold Israel to account for its flagrant breaches of international law and United Nations resolutions.
The effect of abandoning your visit is to tell Palestinians they must go to the back of the queue again.
I expect your government to rapidly remedy this if you remain in government after the October national election.
Na,
<your name>
Please consider stopping and sending your email before reading on.
It will take less than 2 minutes.
Also, please consider BCC’ing Secretary@PSNA.nz so we can track how many emails the minister receives.
Or forward your email to me after you have sent it to Minister Mahuta.
With each newsletter, the number of emails sent grows.
The more emails we send, the more traction we get.
Nga mihi
Neil (Secretary)
Swim in solidarity with Gaza’s children this coming Saturday August 26th
PSNA is supporting this international Swim with Gaza action on this Saturday 26th August.
Supporters in Auckland, New Plymouth and Christchurch will be out swimming or paddling their feet in the cool – hopefully not freezing – water of winter.
Auckland: 2pm at Mission Bay Beach – watch out for Palestinian flags. Facebook event is here.
New Plymouth: 2pm East End Beach near the bridge. Facebook event is here
Christchurch: 2pm Sumner Beach by the clocktower. Facebook event is here.
Here is the leaflet designed by the New Plymouth crew which we will be distributing.
In the meantime. If you haven’t already, have a look at this great film about the Gaza Surf Club…
Voices of young Palestinians
Two young Palestinians girls Layan Khalil & Rahaf Gouda were interviewed by renews on Nakba day earlier this year. We didn’t have the link at the time so here it is – voices of young Palestinian New Zealanders.
Freedom Flotilla Boat “Handala” continues tour of Europe
The freedom flotilla boat Handala has arrived in Copenhagen on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. We will keep you posted on the boat’s progress.
Two pieces of important reading
1. The Elephant in the Room
Antony Loewenstein’s book an official bestseller
Antony Loewenstein’s book was on the New Zealand “bestseller’ list in the New Zealand Listener 12 August 2023 – see below. Congratulations Antony!
Waiheke’s Palestine film festival in the news
Papal award for Bethlehem University’s Peter Bray
Regular readers of this newsletter will know of New Zealander Brother Peter Bray who, after 15 years in the role, is shortly leaving his position as Vice Chancellor of Bethlehem University.
He recently received a papal honour as reported here.
Taranaki-raised Br Peter Bray FSC EdD – Vice Chancellor of Bethlehem University in the Holy Land since 2009 – has been awarded a high Papal honour as he prepares to leave his “amazing” and “challenging” role at the end of the year.
Br Peter was presented with the Papal Cross of Honor – officially the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ("For the Church and the Pope") – during a recent visit to Rome. It is one of the highest honours that the Pope can bestow upon the laity and religious.
Br Peter, from Waitara, a Brother of the Catholic De La Salle teaching congregation, describes his 15 years at Bethlehem University as an amazing blessing and by far the most difficult job of his career.
“I count myself so blessed to have had the opportunity to be here and experience the wonder of God's spirit at work among the young people here.”
Bethlehem University was established under Israeli occupation in 1973. It was the first registered university in the Occupied West Bank territory of Palestine and is the only Catholic university in the Holy Land. It is a Catholic co-educational institution in the De La Salle tradition, its mission being to provide quality higher education to the people of Palestine.
Br Peter undertook a speaking tour of Aotearoa New Zealand in January and February this year, invited by the Catholic bishops to talk about the lives and conditions of his students and ordinary Palestinians.
Watch out for this man promoting racism and apartheid
Here he is – the Israeli ambassador – watch out for him around Aotearoa New Zealand – if you hear of any planned appearances or speaking engagements please contact us urgently: Email apartheid-Israel@PSNA.nz or text 027 4 APARTHEID or 027427278.
Israeli ambassador Ran Yaakoby
Is your property an “apartheid free zone”?
These are popping up on letterboxes and fences all over the country – to get your “Apartheid free zone” coreflute to stick on your letterbox or your front fence just deposit $5 in:
Account Name: Palestine Solidarity Network
Account Number: 38 9015 0849542 00
and send an email to secretary@PSNA.nz with your address and we’ll send you one - or as many as you’d like for your neighbours and friends….
Petition to Close the Israeli Embassy
If you haven’t signed our petition to close the Israeli embassy yet…
Scan and Sign here
Or Click and Sign here
Important stories from the Web
General
The inhumanity of Israeli authorities’ treatment of Walid Daqqah must be challenged. Please help us build pressure for Walid’s release to allow him to spend his remaining days with his family. You can update your action here (Amnesty Campaign)
The Palestine catastrophe – how should Australians respond here
Labour stays the course over Palestine recognition here
Explainer: Plan Dalet and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine here
Jewish supremacy won’t end from within. BDS is still the only hope here
Sanctioning Israel: Feasibility and ethical considerations here
Australia’s decision to again use the term ‘occupied Palestinian territories’ brings it into line with international law here
Australian Zionist groups at odds over criticism of government’s language on Palestinian territories here
Palestine
Palestinians: the final victims of the holocaust here
Israel
More Zionists are finally acknowledging Israeli apartheid but what comes next? here
Ex-IDF general likens military control of West Bank to Nazi Germany here
“I have long rejected claims that Israel is an apartheid state. Now I believe that is where it is heading” here
Israel might allow Gaza residents to travel through Ramon Airport. It won’t undo the blockade’s damage here
Real-life shift among Jews as they question support of Israel amid Palestine conflict here
Finding my hidden history in Israel’s colonial settler past and present here
US
Washington Post and MSNBC voices say ‘Apartheid’ (and J Street inches closer) here
Israel’s new entry procedures for Palestinian Americans are meaningless if the occupation remains hereConditioning U.S. aid to Israel and anti-Palestinian smears at Florida State University here
Israel and the U.S. are laughing in our faces, all the way to the visa waiver program here
The Democratic consensus on Israel is beginning to fracture, but leadership is not budging on issue here
Calls grow to boycott Santo Domingo International Book Fair over plan to honour Israel here
AIPAC strikes back with the help of cooperative Democrats here
Cutting aid to Israel IS about ‘whacking Israel’ — and would have huge impact here
Reminder: Dates for Palestine Solidarity in 2023
Israel apartheid week has been added to the dates for likely local and national Palestine solidarity activity this year.
28 Mar – 4 Apr Israel Apartheid Week
30 Mar Land Day Palestine
5 Apr Palestinian Childs Day
9 Apr Deir Yassin massacre - Irgun Terrorism - 107-120 Palestinian men, women and children massacred
17 Apr Palestinian Prisoners Day
11 May World Kufiya Day
15 May Nakba Day – marking the mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Palestine in 1948
5 Jun Nakba Day - Start of 1967 War - Land Grab – Invasion of Jerusalem, West Bank, Gaza, Egypt and Syria - 5 June 1967 – 10 June 1967
20 Jun Attack on Gaza - 6–21 May 2021 (2 weeks and 1 day)
16-18 Sep 40th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres
28 Sep Second Intifada - 28 Sept 2000 – 8 Feb 2005
2 Nov Balfour Declaration
29 Nov United Nations - International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
8 Dec First Intifada - 8 Dec 1987 – 13 Sept 1993
Are you able to donate a cup of coffee a month to the campaign?
We will need some serious money to make our campaign as effective as possible. For example, we will need somewhere in the vicinity of $25,000 to bring speakers to New Zealand over the next year and organise large public meetings to help spread the message.
You can help. Are you able to donate a cup of coffee a month to the campaign? In other words, can you afford to make an automatic payment of $5 per month to support the Palestinian struggle? (If you can afford more that would be great!)
Our account details are:
Account name: Palestine Solidarity Network
Account number: 38-9015-0849542-00
We are happy to provide a receipt upon request (however, we are not a registered charity so this is not tax-deductible)
In Occupied Palestine daily newsletter – an invitation to subscribe from Leslie Bravery
Because of mainstream news media complicity, daily headlines and commentary only occasionally ever mention the relentless Israeli violence in Palestine, not even the frequent air strikes!
However, daily news and statistics regarding the violence Palestinians are forced to live under are regularly reported on in the “In Occupied Palestine daily newsletter”, sourced and compiled for easy reading and correlation chiefly from the Palestinian Monitoring Group's daily situation reports.
The In Occupied Palestine daily newsletter continues to be circulated, by email, worldwide to subscribers only, as it has been over the last two decades.
Please contact lesliebravery@icloud.com if you also wish to become a subscriber.
Merchandise for sale
We have Merchandise you can buy including T-shirts from our website.
Go here - https://www.psna.nz/shop
More ways you can get involved
Forward this Newsletter – If you know people who may be interested in this movement, please forward this Newsletter to them.
Join in local activities in your area monthly Rallies - In Auckland at 2.00 pm on the first Saturday of every month. Please consider doing the same in your community. Contact Secretary@PSNA.nz if you would like to know where and how to get Flags and Banners
Help set up a Students for Justice in Palestine groups on your campus
Tell Your MP your opinions on Divestment and Sanctions of Israel.
Write Letters to Newspapers – Call Talkback Radio
Keep in touch with the campaign on social media
o NZ Palestine Solidarity Network website: https://www.PSNA.nz
o NZ Palestine Solidarity Network Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/671376706283605/
o NZ Palestine Solidarity Network email: Secretary@PSNA.nz
The Palestine Human Rights Campaign produces the In Occupied Palestine newsletter. It is a regular daily newsletter on the daily situation in Palestine, compiled by Leslie Bravery and emailed to subscribers. If you would also like to become a subscriber, please contact Leslie at “lesliebravery @ icloud .com” (remove the spaces to use as an email address) for further information.
Keep Updated on our Facebook pages and websites (listed below)
Human rights for Uyghur refugees - In line with our support for human rights for the people of Palestine we have added our name to the petition in support of human rights for Uyghur refugees so they can be included in the government’s refugee quota. PSNA members who wish to also sign this petition can do so here - https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/open-letter-let-s-show-compassion-to-the-uyghur-community
PSNA Groups
PSNA National Committee
Website: www.PSNA.nz
Chair - John Minto: Chair@PSNA.nz
Secretary - Neil Scott: Secretary@PSNA.nz
Regional Groups
Bay of Islands PSN Bay of Islands (Email)
Whangarei PSN Whangarei (Facebook)
Auckland PSN Auckland – Tamaki Makaurau (Website)
Hamilton Palestine Human Rights Campaign Waikato (Facebook)
Tauranga Tauranga Moana 4 Palestine (Facebook)
Napier/Hastings Aotearoa Standing with Palestine (Facebook)
Palmerston North PSN Palmerston North (Email)
New Plymouth PSN Taranaki (Facebook)
Wellington PSN Wellington (Email)
Nelson Te Tau Ihu (Nelson) Palestine (Facebook)
Christchurch PSN Christchurch (Facebook)
Dunedin Dunedin for Justice in Palestine (Facebook)
Invercargill PSNA Invercargill (Email)