PSNA Newsletter No 148 - August 8 2024
8 Here-turi-kōkā 2024
8 August 2024
Newsletter No 148
Kia ora koutou,
PSNA welcomes Labour Party announcement of sanctions policy against illegal Israeli settlements
Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Parker
PSNA welcomes the Labour Party announcement yesterday (7 August) calling on the government to announce a ban on procurement of goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
This is the first announcement of sanctions against Israel by one of our major political parties.
“We have been calling for meaningful sanctions against Israel for many years,” says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “The reason Israel has continues to thumb its nose at the world is because it has never been held to account for its 76-year defiance of international law and United Nations resolutions”
Labour’s announcement is a small but significant step forward to beginning to hold the apartheid, settler-colonial state to account”
We urge the government to take up this policy and a raft of other polices we have previously urged the government to adopt.
Labour’s policy announcement yesterday
7 August 2024
Labour calls for ban on procurement from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to support the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling by using its procurement rules to ban government agencies from purchasing goods or services from Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Labour Foreign affairs spokesperson David Parker said the recent decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was clear the prolonged occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal under international law.
“The ICJ detailed Israel’s breaches of international law including forced evictions, extensive house demolitions, the transfer of settlers into the Occupied Territories, and restricting the access of Palestinians to water, to name just a few.
“The continued occupation since 1967 has denied the Palestinian people the right to govern themselves.
“The ICJ decision creates an obligation on states like New Zealand not to “render aid or assistance” to the occupation.
Rule 44 of the Government’s procurement rules allowed for a supplier to be excluded for human rights violations by the supplier or in the supplier’s supply chain.
“This is the least the Government can do to show its support for the ICJ and its opposition to what the ICJ has called ‘the sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power’,” David Parker said.
“The ICJ has called for Israel to withdraw from the illegal settlements. The New Zealand Government should also communicate directly to Israel that it should implement the court’s directives and withdraw from the Occupied Territories.
“This Government says it supports the International Rules Based Order. Decisions of the ICJ are an important part of that. The ICJ ruling is not a suggestion. It is the application of international law.
“If the Government does not want to be accused of being inconsistent, it needs to take action immediately in line with the ICJ ruling,” David Parker said.
Nationwide rallies/marches/actions on August 10/11
We are just two days away from our nationwide rallies to build support for the Palestinian struggle across the country.
The theme is children – the massive impact on the children of Gaza from Israel’s genocidal attacks on the Palestinian people across Palestine.
What we need you to do!
Please share your local event on all your social media accounts and share the events in other centres to family and friends around the country
Details about the nationwide rallies can be found here and the details of the protests this weekend are on the PSNA Facebook events page here.
To view events around Aotearoa:
Go to the PSNA Homepage – www.PSNA.nz or www.PSNA.nz/Rally
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
There are more than 30 events around the Motu this week.
Events list
North Island
Opononi – Rally to Stop the war on Children
Sunday 11 August
1:30 pm
Outside the Four Square, Opononi
Kaikohe – Rally to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
10:00 am
Meet at Library Car Park
Kerikeri - Rally
TBC
Whangarei – Rally for the Tamariki of Gaza
Saturday 10 August
10:00 am
Town Basin, Whangarei
Auckland picket and Leaflet hand out
Friday 9 August
12:00 noon followed by handing out Rally leaflets
Auckland University Library, Alfred Street, Auckland
Waiheke – Vigil for the Children of Gaza
Saturday 10 August
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ostend Market, Waiheke Island
Auckland – Big ride for Gaza (hosted by the Progressive Cyclists Movement)
Saturday 10 August
Meet at 11:30 am (to ride at 12:00 noon) - 2:00 pm (joining the Rally at Britomart)
Western Park, Ponsonby Road
Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau
Saturday 10 August
2:00 pm – (note change of time for this week)
Based at the Auckland rally as part of the PSNA Nationwide rallies
Text Steve for details (dependant on wind speeds)
Auckland – Rally and March to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga – Britomart Square
Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
(by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice - Hauraki)
First Saturday of the month
Tauranga – Rally to Stop the war on Children
Not this weekend
Hamilton – Rally and March to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
TBC
Check the PSNA Facebook events page
Cambridge Rally to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
11:00 am
Cambridge Town Hall
Gisborne - Farmers Market - Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Saturday
9:30 – 11:30 am
Gisborne Farmers Market
Rotorua – Rally to Stop the war on Children
Every Thursday
4:00 pm
Rotorua Lakes Council, Haupapa Street (Sir Howard Morrison Corner)
Napier - Rally to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
11:30 am
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout
Hastings – Rally to Stop the war on Children
Sunday 11 August
1:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD
Palmerston North - Rally to Stop the war on Children
Sunday 11 August
2:00 pm
The Square, Palmerston North
New Plymouth – Rally and March to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
1:00 pm
The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth
Whanganui – Film - Israelism
Friday 16 August
7:30 pm
Davis Lecture Theatre, Watt Street Whanganui
Whanganui - Rally to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
11:00 am
Riverside Market, Whanganui
Carterton - Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Tuesday
12:00 midday
Memorial Square.
Martinborough – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Wednesday
11:00 am
The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough
Masterton - Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Sunday
9:30 am
Town Hall Lawn
Featherston - Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Saturday
11:00 am
The Squircle (opposite the op shop).
Wellington – Vigil for Palestine (by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)
Every Friday
6:00 pm
In front of Wellington Hospital
49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington
Wellington – Flags on the Bridge
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Every Friday
7:45 – 8:45 am
Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington
Wellington – Rally and March to Stop the war on Children Rally
(hosted by Collective groups of Wellington)
Saturday 10 August
2:00 pm
Glover Park to Midland Park, Wellington
South Island
Nelson – Rally
Saturday 10 August
10:30 am
1903 Square, Upper Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Blenheim - Rally to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
11:00 am
Blenheim Railway Station
Christchurch – Rally and March to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
1:00 pm
Latimer Square
Timaru - Rally to Stop the war on Children
TBC
Dunedin - Rally and March to Stop the war on Children
Saturday 10 August
1:00 pm
Otago Museum Reserve to the Octagon, Dunedin
Queenstown
TBC
Invercargill - Rally to Stop the war on Children
Sunday 11 August
1:00 pm
Tweed Street / Elles Road Corner, Invercargill
Just how totally one-sided is the government on Israel's war on Gaza?
Prime Minister Luxon will appear at the Christchurch rally this week
Last week the government issued a joint statement with Australia and Canada on Gaza which:
Condemns Hamas for the October 7th attack on Israel (but refuses to condemn Israel’s 76-year campaign of brutality, persecution and apartheid against Palestinians)
Condemns Iran’s attack against Israel of April 13-14 (but refuses to even acknowledge the Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Syria which provoked Iran’s action)
Calls on Iran to “refrain from further destabilizing actions in the Middle East” (but makes no such call on Israel which has been working hard to provoke a wider war)
Demands that Iran “and its affiliated groups, including Hizballah, cease their attacks” (but no demand for Israel to do the same)
Condemns the “Houthis’ ongoing reckless acts, including their indiscriminate drone attack in Tel Aviv and ongoing attacks on international shipping” (without any criticism of Israel for its genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza which provoked the Houthi actions)
Describes Hizballah as a terrorist group when it is not designated as such by the New Zealand government
Needless to say there is no condemnation of Israel for any of its appalling war crimes. The government’s joint statement is a propaganda screed on behalf of a rogue state and its leadership of genocidal war criminals.
Update on the Freedom Flotilla boats to Gaza
Three things you can do now with just a few clicks…
1) Share the poster/event details for the August 10 event in your area on your social media pages – see the details on our FB events page.
2) Copy and paste this thank you note to Labour
Hon David Parker
Labour Foreign Affairs Spokesperson
David.Parker@parliament.govt.nz
Kia ora Mr Parker,
Thank You
Thank you for your announcement calling on the Government to support the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling by using its procurement rules to ban government agencies from purchasing goods or services from Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
This is a small but significant shift in Labour policy to begin holding Israel to account for its 76-year history of flagrant disregard for United Nations resolutions or international law.
We encourage you to look more closely at the ICJ decision and take further action to withdraw “aid or assistance” from the Israeli occupation. In fact a total boycott of Israel is the only way to end Israel’s illegal occupation. It is accountability for Israel rather than impunity for the apartheid state that holds the key to justice and peace for everyone in the Middle East.
<your name>
<your town/city>
3) Sign the open letter to the government organised by Educators for Palestine here (see below for more details)
“Educators for Palestine”, seeking your help
We included this message in the previous newsletter but are including it again because it’s an important initiative:
“Educators for Palestine”, standing together for the right of young Palestinians to life and education, are asking for PSNA supporters and groups around the motu to not only sign this open letter but to promote it at rallies and events.
We are keen that at the nationwide events supporters are encouraged to ask the vast and varied kinds of educators in our whanau, communities and associated organisations to go on line and sign this Open Letter, as Educators are everywhere. (Below read more about Educators for Palestine along with the state of education under bombardment in Gaza which has been described as being ’scholastacide.’).
https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/educators-for-palestine
The open letter says:
We, the undersigned educators, call on the New Zealand government to:
Use diplomatic means to push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to the 17-year blockade of Gaza.
Increase funding and support to agencies which run schools in Gaza, including but not limited to UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency), which runs 40% of Gaza’s schools.
Condemn the deliberate and targeted bombing of schools and education infrastructure in Gaza as an attack on Palestinian children and society.
Quit Obela Hummus in August – getting ready, Set. . .
Ready. . . Set. . .
August is the month to drive Obela food products off the shelves of supermarkets in Aotearoa.
Obela is Israel’s second largest food company. It is proud of supporting the Israeli military. The company describes itself as ‘born of a Zionist Vision’ and ‘having ‘roots imbedded in the founding of the State of Israel.’
In practice, this meant the Obela food chain was established on land stolen from Palestinians when they were expelled from Palestine in 1948.
Obela processes food in Australia, in particular hummus, and sells it in our supermarkets.
The international Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment campaign has long had Obela on its list of Israeli connected products to avoid, to bring economic and social pressure on Israel to allow Palestinian rights and comply with international law.
We urgently need to increase the pressure on Israeli investments in Aotearoa – commercial, cultural, academic and government.
Its time to gear up the campaign. Our government is silent in its indifference to rules based international law.
Instead of just avoiding buying Obela, we can make sure our supermarkets stop selling it. They will, but only if there is enough protest action in enough supermarkets, around the country, and often enough.
How you go about achieving this, is up to you. But any action which makes it not worthwhile for a supermarket to continue to sell Obela, is an action in support of Palestine’s struggle for freedom.
Swim with Gaza – August 24th/25th
Yes we know it’s winter BUT….
Last year several PSNA groups joined the Swin with Gaza (in their summer – our winter!) We received this message last week to say:
We hope you can join us in this year’s Swim With Gaza.
We had a very successful Swim last year in over 40 location around the world, but this year could not be more different in Gaza.
We debated whether we should go ahead with this year’s swim. We were moved by the fact that even in these darkest of times, people in Gaza are finding joy any which way they can – dancing, singing, playing music and more.
Our Swim With Gaza this year is to keep faith with the people of Gaza, that things can and will get better and we are with them in good and bad times.
Would you be able to organise a swim in your area?
Have a look here and leave your details if you would like to join this year’s Swim With Gaza.
Paul O’Brien
Swim With Gaza
“NO OTHER LAND” and “TO A LAND UNKNOWN” – two Palestinian films showing at the New Zealand International Film Festival
NO OTHER LAND
Directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
"Produced by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, this is a film poised to meet a world changed by events that have unfolded since it wrapped production in October 2023. No Other Land documents a Palestinian village and its residents as they struggle against forced displacement. The West Bank’s Masafer Yatta faces mass evictions at hands of Israeli authorities. Yet this is as much a story of its own co-directors’ asymmetrical relationship, as it is an account of events in Masafer Yatta. The result is a masterful exploration of 21st century apartheid and colonisation." — Nadia Abu-Shanab
Auckland
Thursday 8 August 10AM The Civic
Saturday 17 August 1:15PM The Civic
Wellington
Thursday 8 August 2:15PM Roxy Cinema
Saturday 10 August 1:15PM Embassy Theatre
Christchurch
Sunday 18 August 10:00AM Lumiere Cinemas (Bardot)
Friday 30 August 4:15PM Lumiere Cinemas (Bernhardt)
Saturday 31 August 3:30PM Lumiere Cinemas (Bernhardt)
Dunedin
Sunday 25 August 10:45AM Regent Theatre
Hamilton
Monday 26 August 6:15PM LIDO Cinemas
Sunday 1 September 1:00PM LIDO Cinemas
Tauranga
Monday 19 August 6:00PM Luxe Cinemas Tauranga
Thursday 22 August 2:15PM Luxe Cinemas Tauranga
New Plymouth
Monday 2 September 4:15PM Len Lye Centre
Wednesday 4 September 6:15PM Len Lye Centre
Napier
Tuesday 27 August 7:45PM MTG Century Theatre
Nelson
Thursday 15 August 2:00PM State Cinemas
Thursday 22 August 6:15PM State Cinemas
Masterton
Friday 23 August 2:00PM Regent 3 Cinemas
Monday 26 August 6:00PM Regent 3 Cinemas
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Directed by Mahdi Fleifel
Rated M
"This urgent, vibrant and incredibly topical debut feature follows two refugee cousins from Palestine stranded in Athens as they strive to hustle and scam their way to a new life in Germany. With his first narrative feature To a Land Unknown, Palestinian-Danish filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel delivers a rough and gripping update on Midnight Cowboy, centered on a chiaroscuro portrait of survival at the margins of society. His characters’ parable powerfully captures the plight of Palestinians. Thanks to its true-to-life approach, its vigorous mise en scène and and its terrific performances, To a Land Unknown is one of the year’s must-see debuts." — Paolo Bertolin
Auckland
Saturday 10 August 6:15PM Hollywood Avondale
Wellington
Friday 2 August 6:15PM Roxy Cinema
Tuesday 6 August 3:45PM Embassy Cinema
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
No more silence here
The real reason Israel is assassinating Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and why it won’t stop the resistance here
Netanyahu’s willing executioners – how ordinary Israelis became mass murderers here
Other Stories
Dear Mr Speaker – Does this ban include the Jewish kippah, the Turkish Fez, the English bowler hat and the Mexican poncho? here
To stop the century-long genocide in Palestine, uproot the source of all violence: Zionism here
US poured billions of military aid into Lebanon - now Israel threatens to invade here
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
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 - 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)