PSNA Newsletter No 143 - July 3 2024
3 Hōngongoi 2024
3 July 2024
Newsletter No 143
Kia ora koutou,
This opinion piece from PSNA National Chair John Minto was published in Stuff newspapers around the country last Friday.
Israeli flag must not fly at Olympics
Older readers will know about the international solidarity campaign against apartheid South Africa which came to a head in the 1970s and 1980s.
The campaign was led by the liberation movements, the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress, which asked for international boycotts of white South Africa in all areas: diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural, sporting, academic etc It was seen as the best way to support the liberation struggle from outside South Africa.
The idea was to build intense pressure on South Africa’s white regime to make it impossible for them to continue their racist policies.
India was one of the first countries outside Africa to act in support of international sanctions as Indian South Africans faced discrimination under apartheid policies which divided the country into four groups based on race – Whites, Blacks, Coloureds and Asians (mainly Indians) – and legalised discrimination against people depending on their racial classification.
The campaign gathered steam slowly at first but eventually came to dominate South Africa’s dealings with the rest of the world. Predictably, western countries were much slower to act against South Africa’s apartheid policies.
White South Africans knew the world was complaining about their policies but this was just a vague, irritating noise in the background. The sports boycott changed that.
Sport is often central to a country’s national pride because of its powerful ties to national identity and cultural distinctiveness. It was therefore the sports boycott of South Africa which brought the greatest pressure from outside the country to end apartheid. It was sport which became a weathervane in the anti-apartheid struggle.
Sport touches everyone.
When Papwa Sewgolum was forced to stand in the rain outside the whites-only clubhouse to receive the winner’s trophy after the 1965 Natal Open golf tournament, millions of people around the world saw the ugly reality of life under apartheid.
Similarly when Nelson Mandela, in his prison cell on Robben Island where he had been for 16 years, heard the 1981 rugby game between Waikato and the Springboks had been called off because anti-apartheid protestors had invaded the pitch, he said the prisoners were jubilant. They grabbed the bars of their cell doors and rattled them around the prison. Mandela said it was like the sun had come out.
The positive power of sport, and sports boycotts, has been demonstrated time and again in international sport.
Like apartheid South Africa, Israel uses its participation in international sport as a tool for normalizing its systematic discrimination against Palestinians. In response Palestinians are making the same calls for boycotts as black South African’s did, urging us to isolate Israel and hold it accountable for breaches of international law and crimes against humanity.
The indiscriminate killing being conducted in Gaza, described by many as the first live-streamed genocide, is just the latest example of industrial-scale slaughter of Palestinians by Israel’s leaders. In January this year Israel killed the Palestinian Olympic football coach, Hani Al Masdar, and destroyed the office of the Palestinian Olympic Committee in Gaza.
Sport cannot be separated from other aspects of life under apartheid. As the non-racial South African Council on Sport (SACOS) used to say “you cannot have normal sport in an abnormal society”. This is just as true today in Israel as it was for South Africa.
So just as the progressive world supported the call for a sporting boycott to isolate apartheid South Africa, we must respond to Palestinian calls for Israel to be suspended from international sports organisations and international sporting events until it ends its grave violations of international law – particularly its apartheid rule and the crime of genocide it is perpetrating in Gaza.
The campaign for Israel to be suspended from next month’s 2024 Paris Olympics is gathering momentum. Israel must be suspended in the same way Russia and Belarus have been because of their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus cannot complete under their countries’ flags which are banned from the games. They can compete only as “Individual Neutral Athletes”. Any Russian or Belarusian athletes who “actively support the war” cannot compete and any of their athletes “who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies cannot compete” Similarly, “support personnel who are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies cannot be entered (in the Olympics)”
So far the International Olympic Committee Executive Board has tried to avoid the issue and a glance at its makeup is not encouraging.
The board is hardly a model of democratic representation. The board chair is from Germany with three of the four deputy chairs also European. In fact ten of the 15 board positions are held by Europeans despite Europeans making up just 9.32% of the world’s population! The only person from Africa on the Board is a European from Zimbabwe and the only person from Asia is based in Singapore.
Will this board hold Israel to account as it is holding Russia and Belarus to account? Or will the board provide protection for Apartheid Israel on behalf of western interests and resist calls for Israel’s suspension?
Politics and sport have always been mixed and always will be.
Western countries must end Israel’s impunity for anything it does. We must hold Israel accountable for its words and actions as we do for other countries.
For the New Zealand government this means it must move from hypocrisy to demanding accountability for Israel.
And the Israeli flag must not fly in Paris.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Chair@PSNA.nz
What Israel says about the Olympics – sportswashing to help normalise genocide!
“Every time we succeed in hearing the Israeli anthem play in the background while our flag flies overhead is in my eyes worth everything,” said Zohar. “The reason we’re doing this, despite the economic difficulties, despite the enormous costs of the war… is because it has a value that in my eyes is directly related to national morale, which is in such need of a boost.”
Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar was announcing huge payouts to Israeli athletes as incentives to win medals – NIS (New Israeli Shekel) 1 million for gold, NIS 700,000 for silver and NIS 500,000 for bronze, all tax-free. This is double the figures for Tokyo.
(1 NIS = 0.44 NZD)
The full report is here
Two things you can do now with just a few clicks…
1) Email the New Zealand Olympic Committee to endorse moves to expel Israel from the 2024 Paris Olympics. You can either write your own letter or copy and paste this one:
Liz Dawson (President)
Diana Puketapu (Chair)
Graham Child
Sarah Cowley-Ross
Annette Purvis
Sarah Walker
Dr Jonathan Coleman
Glen Sowry
Email: office@olympic.org.nz
Phone: 09 375 0040
Kia ora koutou,
Request NZ Olympic Committee join the majority of humanity and support Israel’s expulsion from the 2024 Paris Olympics
I am writing to request that the New Zealand Olympic Committee formally endorse moves to have Israel banned from the 2024 Paris Olympics because it is conducting the first live-streamed genocide in human history, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza. Most of those killed are women and children.
This industrial-scale slaughter of Palestinians and the myriad of war crimes committed by Israel such as collective punishment, starvation as a weapon of war, attacks on schools, hospitals and universities etc is an affront to humanity and demands the same response from the Olympic movement which has been imposed on Russian and Belarus athletes because of their government’s actions in the invasion of Ukraine.
Russian and Belarus national flags are banned from the games and their athletes are required to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” rather than as representatives of their countries. Israel and Israel athletes must face the same consequences.
I am asking the New Zealand Olympic Committee to join the majority of humanity and support Israel’s expulsion from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Please respond urgently.
(your name)
2) Endorse our “Letter of Demand” to hold the government and key government ministers, to account for failing to uphold New Zealand’s legal responsibilities under the Genocide Convention. You can do this here.
Rallies, marches, vigils and protests around the motu this weekend
To view events around Aotearoa:
· Go to the PSNA Homepage – www.PSNA.nz
· Scroll down to the button “For a list of events Nationwide, please click here - Check back often for updates”
· Click the button
· Check back on Friday for any moves, adds or changes
Events list
North Island
Opononi – Gathering for Palestine
Sunday 7 July
1:30 pm
Outside the Four Square, Opononi
Kerikeri
Every first Saturday of the month
Saturday 6 July
9:00 am
Kerikeri roundabout, State highway 10
Whangarei – Rally
Saturday 6 July
10:00 am
Whangārei Town Basin in front of Hundertwasser Building
Auckland Picket – US Consulate
Friday 5 July
12:00 noon
23 Customs Street East, Auckland CBD
Waiheke Island Market – Auckland
Every Saturday
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ostend Market, Waiheke Island
Auckland –Banners around Tamaki Makaurau
Saturday 6 July
10:00 – 1:00 pm
Te Whitinga Pedestrian Bridge – Just south of the Waterview Tunnel
Backup – Cnr Stoddard and Mt Albert Roads
Text Steve for details (dependant on wind speeds)
Auckland – Rally
Sunday 7 July
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga – Britomart Square
Tauranga – Rally
Sunday 7 July
11:00 am -12: 00 noon
Papamoa shopping center - corner of Domain Rd & Gravatt Rd
Hamilton – Rally
Saturday 6 July
1:00 pm
Civic Square, Hamilton
Cambridge Rally
Saturday 6 July
11:00 am
Cambridge Town Hall
Rotorua - Rally
Thursday 4 July
4:00 pm
Rotorua Lakes Council, Haupapa Street (Sir Howard Morrison Corner)
Napier - Rally
Saturday 6 July
11:30 am
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout
Hastings - Rally
Sunday 7 July
2:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD
Palmerston North - Rally
Sunday 7 July
2:00 pm
The Square, Palmerston North
New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge
Friday 5 July
Check the local Facebook page to see if this is on this week.
New Plymouth – Rally
Saturday 6 July
1:00 pm
The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth
Whanganui - Rally
Saturday 6 July
11:00 am
Riverside Market, Whanganui
Carterton
Every Tuesday
12:00 midday
Memorial Square.
Martinborough – Gathering for Palestine
Every Wednesday
11:00 am
The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough
Masterton
Every Sunday
9:30 am
Town Hall Lawn
Featherston
Every Saturday
11:00 am
The Squircle (opposite the op shop).
Wellington – Flags (by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Every Friday
7:15 – 8:15 am
Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington
Wellington – Rally (by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Saturday 6 July
1:00 pm
Corner of Taranaki Street and Courtenay Place outside Burger Fuel. Please see Instagram account @falastin_tea_collective for updates.
South Island
Nelson – Rally
Saturday 6 July
10:30 am
1903 Square, Upper Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Blenheim
Saturday 6 July
11:00 am
Blenheim Railway Station
Christchurch – Rally
Saturday 6 July
1:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch
Timaru – Market Stall
Saturday 6th July
9:00 am – 12:00 noon
Timaru Market, George Street
Dunedin - Rally
Saturday 6 July
1:00 pm
Otago Museum Reserve to the Octagon, Dunedin
Queenstown
No Rally this weekend
Invercargill - Rally
Sunday 7 July
1:00 pm
Wachner place Invercargill
A bouquet for Sydney – where are you Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch…?
Sydney backs boycott of Israel adding pressure for ceasefire. More details here
From Seinfeld to Chelsea Handler
Later this week Chelsea Handler will appear in Auckland and Wellington – details . She is hot on the heels of anti-Palestinian racist Jerry Seinfeld whose shows were picketed and disrupted by Palestine solidarity supporters. Chelsea Handler shares Seinfeld’s racist views.
Auckland protest against anti-Palestinian racist Jerry Seinfeld
Waitakere Ranges Local Board – Laurie Ross presentation
Last week the Waitakere Ranges Local Board received a deputation, led by Laurie Ross, calling for the board to endorse calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and to take action to divest and decline to purchase goods or services from companies identified by the United Nations Human Rights Council as being complicit in the building and maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The presentation was received positively with actions to follow.
All out for Gaza – last Thursday in Wellington!
Photo credit Paul Brennan
2000 people came out in Wellington for a large noisy, vibrant protest through the central city calling on the government to honour its signature on the Genocide Convention which requires it to act to “prevent and punish” the crime of genocide.
In the week leading up to the rally a “caravan” from the far north made its way through many North Island towns before the final convoy into Wellington on the morning of the rally.
The day of protest began with a rally outside parliament at 11am and finished with a snap action outside the US Embassy at 3pm.
The rally was hosted by a Students for Justice in Palestine leader from Tamaki Makaurau, Layan Khalil, and featured many Palestinian voices speaking with passion and insight into the struggle for liberation in Palestine. Green Party and Labour Party speakers also spoke to the crowd.
A huge thanks to Gail and the team from the Far North who co-ordinated the caravan’s trip through the North Island and to Yasser Abdulaal and the many people who worked to make the event as successful as it was.
Here are a few pictures from the protest:
Photo credit Paul Brennan
Photo credit Paul Brennan
Photo credit Paul Brennan
Photo credit Paul Brennan
The Nelson crew head home on the Interislander after the big protest
Facts Speaking for themselves - A new resource
Looking out for government MPs
“Pitiful in the face of genocide” – yes that’s our government. It still hasn’t even reached first base in responding to the industrial scale slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. First base would be to condemn Israel and call for an immediate permanent ceasefire.
We need to challenge government MPs in National, New Zealand First and Act.
If you come across information with details of where any of these MPs will be for speaking or have meeting engagements, then please contact us urgently so we can organise to protest and challenge them.
Email apartheid-Israel@PSNA.nz or text 027 4 APARTHEID or 027427278.
Important stories this week
Editor’s Pick’s
Urgent action must be taken to prevent a full-blown famine across the entire Strip here
Palestinian child dies of malnutrition as hunger crisis rages here
Hunger 'worse than bombings' for starving Palestinians here
Extent of forced hunger crisis in Gaza revealed in UN report here
By destroying agricultural lands and blocking food aid, Israel uses starvation as a weapon of war against civilians here
Save the Children: The Missing Children of Gaza here
EU says delivering meaningful humanitarian aid to Gaza has become impossible here
Israel is forcibly disappearing future Palestinian generations here
Other Stories
Labour (Australia) cannot afford to ignore the recognition of Palestine here
Israel continues to deliberately bomb UN-run shelter centres, killing displaced people inside here
Prosecutors treating attempted drowning of Palestinian-American child as hate crime here
Biden Team Ignores Israel’s History of Deceit and Deception here
South Korea NGO files case against Israel for Gaza war crimes here
Republicans demonstrate their terrifying Palestine policy here
Settlers are already executing Smotrich’s plan to annex the occupied West Bank residents say here
A two-state solution for Palestine here
Can Biden avert war between Israel and Hezbollah here
Support Mondoweiss journalists here
Netherlands summons Israeli ambassador for explanation over spying on ICC here
Battered Shujaiya comes under fresh Israeli assault here
Israel’s war on Gaza is the deadliest conflict on record for journalists here
Israel’s ‘genocidal policies’ have not change for peace in Palestine: Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire here
Cyprus: From early Zionist colony to military base for Israel’s war on Gaza here
‘PR commando unit’ unleashed by Israel to manipulate US discourse here
As Norway’s largest private pension fund we are divesting from caterpillar here
Euro-med monitor: Israeli army systematically uses police dogs to brutally attack, rape Palestinian civilians here
Both US presidential candidates fealty towards Israel here
World has abandoned us – what can we do? here
US warns government’s not to deal with Hamas after claims its leaders are moving from Qatar here
The Floating Gaza Pier: A Symbol of Future Colonial Plans here
The doctor’s wife – film screening
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappe
A reader tells us this book can be obtained on electronic copy at no cost here Printed copies are available from The Nile, $26.10 + shipping from here.
There is also a 15-page article from Ilan Pappe based on the book and that is available here
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza ready to go from Türkiye but held up by Israeli pressure on supporting countries
Gaza Aid flotilla, due for launch last week has been delayed by ‘Israeli tactics’ here
Keep up to date with developments here https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/
Remember BDS for Aotearoa New Zealand
Remember our big six BDS targets for Aotearoa New Zealand?
Obela Hummus
Ahava skin care products
Sodastream
HP (Hewlett-Packard)
BP and Caltex
McDonalds
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
Reminder: Dates for Palestine Solidarity during the year
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)