PSNA Newsletter No 103 - September 5 2023
5 Mahuru 2023
5 September 2023
Newsletter No 103
Kia ora koutou,
Palestine and Election 2023
For election 2023 Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has sent three simple questions to each candidate from all major parties. The questions are:
1. If elected to parliament, will you support moves to implement United Nations Security Council resolution UNSC 2334?
2. If elected to parliament, will you support the New Zealand government voting in favour of a planned United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring Israel an apartheid state?
3. If elected to parliament will you support moves for the New Zealand government to recognise Palestine as a state?
We provided detailed background information for each question to stress its importance and to give the context for it.
Despite requesting individualised responses from candidates, for the most part the National Party, Labour Party and Green Party candidates have relied on prepared responses from their party. These “party policy” responses, in alphabetical order, are:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Green Party:
1. Yes. The Green Party supports moves to implement United Nations Security Council resolution UNSC 2334. The Green Party believes the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and further encroachment by Israel into Palestinian territories is a denial of the rights of the Palestinian people. The Green Party supports boycotting goods and services produced in the occupied territories.
2. Yes. The Green Party would endorse New Zealand supporting UN resolutions that condemn discrimination against Palestinian citizens within Israel and the occupied territories. The Green Party agrees with international human rights groups that have labelled the actions of the Israeli government as a form of apartheid due to the persistent denial of Palestinian rights to self-determination and denial of equal rights within the territories controlled by the Israeli government.
3. Yes. The Green Party Manifesto 2023 includes a commitment to call on the Government of Aotearoa to formally recognise Palestine as a state.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Labour Party:
Aotearoa New Zealand remains committed to supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions the creation of an independent state of Palestine living in peace and security alongside the state of Israel.
While New Zealand is a long-standing supporter of Israel’s right to live in peace and security, successive New Zealand governments have also been clear that Israeli settlements and some actions are in violation of international law and have negative implications for the peace process.
All sides have a responsibility to de-escalate, stop the violence and prevent further suffering and loss of life.
In recognising the two-state solution, in recognising the right of Palestinians to security, to a stable home, and the right of Israel to exist, the Government is supporting the outcomes that much of the international community seeks and continues to call for increased efforts to reduce tensions and promote peace.
Aotearoa New Zealand stands ready to assist in any constructive way we can to support urgent de-escalation of the situation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
National Party:
The three questions that you've asked each election candidate all have a degree of complexity behind them that does not lead to easy yes and no answers. For that reason the National party has provided the following statements.
1. If elected to Parliament, will you support moves to implement United Nations Security Council resolution UNSC 2334?
New Zealand supports the notion of Israel and Palestine living peacefully side by side and we support efforts to achieve that outcome.
2. If elected to parliament, will you support the New Zealand Government voting in favour of a planned United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring Israel an apartheid state?
National does not believe that labelling Israel as an apartheid state would advance the goal of a peaceful solution to the current very long-standing animosities.
3. If elected to parliament will you support moves for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine as a state?
National has long used the term 'Occupied Palestinian Territory', however we do not plan to recognise Palestine as a State at this stage.
Something you can do right now with a few clicks…
Send an email to each of your local electorate candidates requesting they respond individually to the three questions, if they have not already responded. You can send your own message or copy and paste this message.
The candidate names and email addresses for those who have not provided an individual response are here and the background information for each question is here.
You can send your own email or copy and paste this email below.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(candidate name)
Party
Electorate
Kia ora (candidate name)
Please don’t send Palestine to the back of the queue!
Earlier in the campaign you were sent these three questions from the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
1. If elected to parliament, will you support moves to implement United Nations Security Council resolution UNSC 2334?
2. If elected to parliament, will you support the New Zealand government voting in favour of a planned United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring Israel an apartheid state?
3. If elected to parliament will you support moves for the New Zealand government to recognise Palestine as a state?
I know you will be very busy with the election campaign but we’d appreciate if you could take the time to answer these questions. Important background material was provided for each question. In case you have lost track of this information it is online here.
The situation for Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation is becoming more serious by the day after the election of a particularly racist and rabidly anti-Palestinian regime in Israel.
Please don’t send Palestine to the back of the queue.
Look forward to your response.
(your name)
Appeal to Swimming New Zealand to withdraw its seven-swimmer team from the World Aquatics Junior Championships in apartheid Israel
Graphic from South African activists opposing their team going to Israel
PSNA issued this media release in response to Swimming New Zealand sending a team to the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships which are being held in Netanya, Israel from 6 -10 September.
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has sent an appeal to Swimming New Zealand to withdraw its seven-swimmer team from the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships to be held in Netanya, Israel from 6 -10 September. The appeal was sent yesterday.
The appeal is in response to repeated pleas from Palestinian civil society for BDS (Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel because of its well-documented apartheid policies against Palestinians, its military occupation of all historic Palestine and its refusal to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their land and homes in Israel/Palestine.
“We are calling on Swimming New Zealand to stand with Palestinians and turn their back on racism and apartheid” says PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“As Israeli cabinet ministers encourage racist pogroms against Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank it is unconscionable that New Zealand would give comfort to this regime”
“We don’t want this country to be part of ‘sports-washing’ racism and oppression by Israel”
Already this year the Israeli regime has killed more than 200 Palestinians, including at least 34 children, making 2023 the deadliest year for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2005. At the same time Israel has imprisoned 165 Palestinian children and issued demolition orders for 57 schools in the occupied West Bank that will leave 6,550 Palestinians without education.
Even the venue for the competition reeks with racist history.
“The town of Netanya where the event is to be held has been built on the site of the Palestinian district of Umm Khalid, ethnically cleansed by Israeli militias during the 1947/48 Nakba. The Palestinian survivors are now refugees, refused the right to return to their land and homes”
The sports and cultural boycott of apartheid Israel this century follows the successful sports boycott of apartheid South Africa last century in which New Zealand played a significant role.
Hosting an international swimming competition on colonized land, violently stolen from its Palestinian inhabitants who continue to be denied basic human rights, is helping to ‘sportswash’ the ongoing system of apartheid, settler colonialism and war crimes that Israel is conducting against the Palestinian people.
“New Zealand stood against racism last century and we must do the same today. Non-violent pressure through BDS against apartheid Israel is the way forward for Palestinian freedom”
“Swimming New Zealand must do the right thing”
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Chair@PSNA.nz
Our media release and appeal was circulated to South Africa as well as New Zealand which resulted in this story in South Africa’s City Press newspaper.
Something else you can do now with just a couple of clicks…
Nick Tongue and Anna Tootill
Send an email to Swimming New Zealand. Write your own or copy and paste this email.
Nick Tongue
Chair
Swimming New Zealand
c/o info@swimming.org.nz
Anna Tootill
Deputy Chair
Swimming New Zealand
c/o info@swimming.org.nz
Kia ora Nick and Anna,
Urgent Appeal to Swimming New Zealand to withdraw the Aotearoa New Zealand team from the World Aquatics Junior Championships
I am deeply concerned at the decision by Swimming New Zealand to send a swimming team to the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Israel from 6 -10 September.
Why has Swimming New Zealand not been paying attention?
Israel is a racist, apartheid state where Palestinians have been calling for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) for almost 20 years to bring pressure for on Israel to end its well-documented apartheid policies against Palestinians, end its military occupation of all historic Palestine and its refusal to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their land and homes in Israel/Palestine.
It is a timorous decision to send a swimming team to Israel in these circumstances. True courage and sporting principles, in line with the constitution of World Aquatics, is best represented by this story of Former Palestinian backstroke champion Amjad Tantish
“There is no level playing field in an apartheid state. Former Palestinian backstroke champion, Amjed Tantish, is fighting the odds to bring a Palestinian swimming team to the Olympics. From a 1948 refugee family, the first pool he built in Gaza port was polluted from sewage pipes destroyed by Israeli forces in 2004. Undeterred he built an improvised pool on the beach that was destroyed by Israeli bombs in 2006. Tantish then built a pool on his family farmland to continue giving swimming lessons to children. In the 2008 Israeli ‘Cast Lead’ war on Gaza Tantish’s home was hit, killing two of his nephews, destroying the house and pool. Another attempt to create a pool in the port was thwarted by the 2014 ‘Protective Edge’ Israeli onslaught on Gaza that again destroyed sewage pipes polluting the sea and rendering the water supply undrinkable. Finally, using the rubble from bombed out buildings, he has created a pool in the port upstream from the sewage spills. Children that have been traumatised by constant war and the ongoing siege of Gaza, the world’s largest open-air prison, can again enjoy learning to swim and hope to live Tantish’s Olympic dream. At least until the next Gaza bombing”
I would welcome your assurance Swimming New Zealand will not attend any future swimming events in apartheid Israel or compete with teams representing this racist state.
New Zealand stood up with black South Africans against apartheid. We, including Swimming New Zealand, must now stand alongside Palestinians against apartheid Israel.
Please respond without undue delay.
(your name)
From the West Bank to Waikato
This month’s issue of NZ Doctor features Palestinian Dr Ruba Harfeil who came to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2012 with her husband Ahmed Saadeh and has been involved in setting up a marae-based clinic in the Waikato at Mangatoatoa Paa.
This delightful story is here but is unfortunately paywalled. However, another picture and a couple of snippets are included below.
You can send your congratulations to the writer Stephen Forbes here and the magazine here for this excellent story which humanises Palestinians living in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Palestinians told to go to the back of the queue
PSNA National Chair John Minto wrote an opinion piece in response to the cancellation of Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s proposed visit to Palestine. It was published in the Otago Daily Times – see picture below – but can be read more easily online here.
Australia’s complicity with Israeli apartheid – webinar – Thursday 28th September, 9pm (NZ time)
Register here. ( Zoom details will be sent to people who register)
Background to the one state solution…
Winter swimming in solidarity with Gaza…
Two pictures from Sumner Beach in Christchurch where despite the sunshine, the water was frigid.
In Auckland’s Mission Bay supporters gathered with Rangitoto in the background – for more click here.
Israel: #ShutDownNation
17 reasons to think again before investing in apartheid Israel here
A safe haven for Jews – a nightmare for Palestinians…
The New Zealand Herald’s canvas magazine printed an excellent article last month written by Bex Silver of her stay in the occupied West Bank of Palestine. The article is online here but is unfortunately paywalled.
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
Palestine
Pedagogies of liberation and solidarity are how we resist Israel’s war on Palestinian children here
This school year students in Masafer Yatta brave settler and army harassment here
A stateless Palestinian in Montreal wants to go home, but Canada’s govt refuses to deport him — or grant him status here
Organized Resistance: Labor Strikes in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle here
Court releases Palestinian who had Star of David imprinted on his face by Israel troops here (Paywalled)
Israel
“What’s the truth? Does Israel have the right to exist?” here
Israel’s PM backs his racist minister Ben Gvir here
Scholars’ ‘Apartheid’ letter is intended to crack ‘rock of silence’ in Jewish institutions here
Itamar Ben-Gvir and his fascist ilk inadvertently advance the apartheid discourse here
Israel’s national airline El Al is an intelligence front for the Shin Bet here
Police Block Thousands of Christians From Mount Tabor Church in Northern Israel here
US
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)