PSNA Newsletter No 162 - November 13 2024
13 Whiringa-ā-rangi 2024
13 November 2024
Newsletter No 162
The shocking state of mainstream media reporting on Palestine
Jack Tame opened the door for 45 minutes of largely unchallenged Israeli propaganda
We are all familiar with the dreadful Israeli-centric, anti-Palestinian reporting on Palestine/Israel in our mainstream media and two stories from the last few days dramatically underline the anti-Palestinian racism at it’s heart.
Firstly the Broadcasting Standards Authority has rejected PSNA’s complaint at the appalling Jack Tame interviews with the Israeli and Palestinian ambassadors. After six months of genocide in Gaza, TVNZ gave the Israeli ambassador 45 minutes to present mostly unchallenged Israeli lies and propaganda – with Tame even feeding some lines to the ambassador in case he missed them. The BSA has excused all this, talking about a “high bar” for complaints to succeed and while saying Tame could have pushed back more against the ambassador they excused this on the grounds of “freedom of expression”. Even when Tame got his facts completely wrong, as with the Hamas constitution, the BSA managed to find a way to blame Palestinians for Tame’s egregious journalistic incompetence.
The decision will be on the BSA website here today. It's a shocking read.
Secondly the reporting on the clashes between Israeli and Dutch soccer fans in Amsterdam this week which managed to turn a story about the most vile anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism from Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters – backed up by violent attacks on Arab fans, into a story about anti-semitic attacks on Israeli suporters.
Honestly you couldn’t make this stuff up!
Needless to say our state broadcasters TVNZ and RNZ dutifully reported the “anti-semitic” attack lies with TVNZ even showing footage of an attack on an Arab supporter which they claimed showed an Israeli being beaten up. We have made this complaint to TVNZ.
There are many good reports on this – here is one of the best from Jonathan Cook “The West buries a genocide – by making victims of Israel's football thugs here
Complaint to TVNZ
PSNA has sent this complaint to TVNZ:
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
13 November 2024
Complaints Committee
Television New Zealand
https://corporate.tvnz.co.nz/contact/make-a-formal-complaint/
Kia ora koutou,
Formal Complaint based on 6pm 1 News Bulletin on November 9
This is a formal complaint against the 6pm 1News Bulletin on November 9, under the terms of the Broadcasting Code of Practice, Standard 4 Discrimination and Denigration, Standard 5 Balance, and Standard 6 Accuracy.
Immediate apology requested:
As well as the complaint which follows we ask that TVNZ issue an immediate apology for broadcasting footage TVNZ claimed was an attack on Israeli fans when it was an attack on a Dutch fan. Here is a screenshot from the video you used.
Guardian columnist Owen Jones broadcast the same dramatic clip. He also added a post from IAnnet about that clip.
This post, at best, casts a serious question over who was committing the violence shown in the footage. At worst, it was a cynical media editorial contrivance to use video images of violence by Maccabi fans against Dutch people as evidence instead that the opposite was happening in order to deliver on a biased and pre-determined anti Palestinian narrative.
Our complaint:
The item was a report on the violence which occurred in Amsterdam surrounding the soccer game played there by Israeli club Tel Aviv Maccabi.
The item followed the mainstream western news and political narrative by pointing to the violence being driven by antisemitism, quoting the Mayor of Amsterdam and Dutch Prime Minister to this effect.
The item did show Tel Aviv Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slogans and tearing down Palestinian flags on residences. But the thrust of the item was to attribute antisemitic motives and remind viewers of the Holocaust.
The 1News presenter, in the pre ad break trailer made it clear, by not quoting or attributing but rather editorialising what the news story to come was about;
“Antisemitic violence rocks Amsterdam and Israeli football fans are chased down and beaten by pro-Palestinian protesters… What Dutch authorities have revealed about the hit and run attacks.”
Israel supporters and Israeli leaders for the past year have been reframing protests against the Israeli genocide in Gaza as antisemitism in order to discredit the protests and silence the protesters.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance examples of antisemitism is one instrument Israel is using to conflate antisemitism with criticism of Israel.
You will see from this that most of the purported examples of antisemitism are actually to protect Israel’s reputation.
Israel and its supporters have for years claimed antisemitic acts and statements are increasing, including in New Zealand. If true, it is a result of a public reaction to Israel’s behaviour and Israel’s public relations work in invariably associating Jews with Israel.
1News has bought into this public relations strategy.
Deficiencies in the 1News item;
Somehow, when the story concerns violent anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism from supporters of an Israeli soccer team, (which the Daily Mail had described the day before as ‘Israeli football hooligans’; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14053391/Israeli-football-hooligans-Palestine-flags-Ajax-Maccabi-Tel-Aviv.html the story is converted the next day by western media – including TVNZ – from racist Israeli football hooliganism to ‘innocent victims of antisemitism/pogrom’ through an invocation of and comparison to the Holocaust of the mid-1940s.
That comparison is hugely offensive. It identifies members of the Dutch Arab community, not as suffering an attack on them and supporters of Palestinian rights, but instead these people as being responsible for violent antisemitism, and to a level or impact comparable to that of the millions who died in the Holocaust.
There was a well reported attack on at least one taxi driver by Maccabi fans the day previous to the match, but the item described it as an attack on a taxi.
There were no fatalities nor, it appears, even serious injuries in Amsterdam. There were no reports anywhere we can find either of damage beyond the destruction of Palestinian flags. Nonetheless 1News chose these events in Amsterdam worthy of reporting on when it has ignored so many of instances of the vast death and destruction in Gaza – such as implementation of the Generals’ Plan to depopulate much of Gaza.
There was no mention or images of the Maccabi supporters disrupting the minute of silence for the victims of the Spanish flooding at the match venue just before the game – because Spain’s support for Palestine is offensive to those supporters.
There was no citing of the track record of the Maccabi Football Club and its fan base, such as there being no Palestinians in the team, since Mahran Rami was forced out in 2004, or Maccabi fans beating an Egyptian in Greece in March this year so severely that he had to be hospitalised; Maccabi Tel Aviv fans beat man in downtown Athens (VIDEOS)
No report either that Israeli soccer clubs, such as Beitar and La Familia in particular, are notorious for their anti-Arab racism, as are the organised supporters of Maccabi, the Maccabi Fanatics.
No words that members of the Israeli spy agency – the Mossad – accompanied the team to Holland; Mossad agents to join Maccabi Tel Aviv FC trip to Amsterdam - Israel Sports - The Jerusalem Post It is difficult to not believe their function was to at least in part orchestrate the team supporters attacks on Dutch people and their residences on the day before the match in order to provoke a reaction.
1News avoided the fact that the great majority of the Israeli soccer fans were serving, or recently had, in the Israeli Défense Forces, and many would have been active in perpetrating the Israeli genocide in Gaza over the past year.
There was no confirmation that many victims of the Maccabi supporters’ violence were Arabs and in particular Moroccans of Dutch citizenship or residence. There was no suggestion that the Maccabi supporters were guilty of engaging in anti-Arab or Islamophobic assaults – only unspecified chants and hitting a taxi.
The description of the chants was sanitised by 1News. There were no translations of the Maccabi chants provided, such as ‘Death to Arabs’ and ‘There are no schools in Gaza because we have killed all the children’.
1News editorialised that the video images of what it claimed were attacks on the soccer fans were ‘disturbing’. No such comment was made about the chanting.
While we acknowledge the plentiful statements made about antisemitism issued by many Western leaders about this incident, this should not have pre-determined the 1News approach to the item and the automatic assumption that this was an event where motivations were antisemitic.
1News produced no evidence at all that the alleged attacks on Maccabi fans were motivated by antisemitism, other than a translate caption of a man stating he was shouting in his defence from assault that he was not a Jew. Such a statement reflects what he thought was the motivation of his attackers, irrespective whether it was or was not the motive for the attack on him.
Two Dutch politicians were quoted and two Israelis were interviewed. None of the alleged attackers of the Israeli soccer fans, or anyone else, were quoted to balance these statements, to the effect for instance, that the Maccabi fans were thugs who have a history of violence against Palestinians and Arabs, as exhibited the day previous to the match and immediately after it, and many of them were perpetrators of war crimes in Gaza.
The insertion by 1News at the end of the item of the number of Dutch Jewish casualties in the Holocaust was unbalanced, unnecessary and gratuitous. TVNZ consistently argues that Palestinian history going back to the Nakba in 1948 is irrelevant, unnecessary or takes too much time to include in its bulletin stories.
The most ready conclusion of this is that for our racially orientalist and discriminatory news media the only history worthy of concern and reporting is European history and that Asian history does not need considering or inclusion.
This is consistent with the attention and personalisation given by our news media, including TVNZ’s, of the relatively tiny number of Israeli victims of the current violence, and the indifference to Palestinian victims except as a statistical phenomenon.
Here are examples of western media coverage of the events;
1News’ coverage of the events was perhaps marginally more balanced than the examples above. But it does mean that TVNZ cannot take refuge, as it usually does, in stating this if its stories were factually wrong or unbalanced, then its viewers would have seen or read stories elsewhere which redressed the TVNZ errors or omissions. So prevalent is the antisemitism messaging created by Israel that the western media has embraced it as some sort of universal truth.
Ngā mihi.
Nā,
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Keep your ear to the ground
Pass on to us any news you have of government MPs at public events so we can hold them to account. Send messages to Secretary@PSNA.nz
Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week
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
Or events are on the PSNA Facebook events page here
There are more than 30 events around the Motu this week.
North Island
Opononi - Gathering for Palestine
Sunday 17 November
1:30 pm
Outside the Four Square, Opononi - Shared Lunch
Kerikeri - Rally
No Rally this weekend. Next is First Saturday of the month – 7 December
Whangarei – Rally
Saturday 16 November
No Rally this weekend
Auckland – Toitū Te Tiriti Hikoi
The team in Auckland will be joining the Hikoi
Wednesday 13 November
9:30 am Onepoto Domain, Northcote for a 10:00 am start
Auckland – Banner making sessions
Thursday 14 and Friday 15
9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Corban Estate Art Centre, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson
Text Stephen for more details - 021 256 5117
Beyond Pilgrimage – Tāmaki
Friday 15
7pm - 9pm
St James Church Hall (beside the church), 31 Church Road, Māngere Bridge, Auckland
Tickets - https://events.humanitix.com/beyond-pilgrimage-tamaki
Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!
Every Saturday
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ostend Market, Waiheke Island
Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau
Every Saturday
10:00 am – 1:00 pm (then off to the Auckland Rally)
This week -
Text John on 021 899 659 for location
Auckland – Rally
Saturday 16 November
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga - Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau
Auckland – Seymour in Parnell
Sunday 17 November
10:30 am - Cnr St Stephens Ave and Bridgewater Road
11:00 am - Cnr St Stephens Ave and Gladstone Road
11:30 am - Cnr Parnell Road and York Street
12:00 pm - Cnr Parnell Road and St Stephens Ave
12:30 pm - Cnr Brighton Road and Lee Street
1:30 pm - Cnr Morgan Street and George Street
2:00 pm - Cnr Middleton Road and Mamie Street
Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
(Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice - Hauraki)
No Rally this weekend. Next is First Saturday of the month – 7 December
Tauranga - Flag Waving
Sunday 17 November
11:00 am
Coronation park, Mt Maunganui
Whakatane
Rallies are starting to be organised
Watch this space
Hamilton – Flag Waving for Palestine
Every Saturday
1:00 pm
Flynn Park, Cnr Wairere Drive & Naylor, Hamilton
See next ad for Hamilton Rally
Hamilton – Flyering in Hillcrest
Saturday 16 November
1:00 pm
Meet at Flynn Park
Hamilton – Round the Bridges
Sunday 17 November
9:30 am
Start and Finish at Garden Place
Raglan
To be advised
Watch this space
Cambridge - Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
11:00 am
Cambridge Town Hall
Rotorua – Rally for Palestine
Every Thursday
4:30 pm
National MP Todd McClays Office - Cnr Amohau and Ranolf St lights, Rotorua
Gisborne - Farmers Market - Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Saturday
9:30 – 11:30 am
Gisborne Farmers Market
Napier - Rally for Palestine
Saturday 16 November
11:30 am
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout
Hastings – Rally for Palestine
Sunday 17 November
1:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD
Palmerston North - Rally for Palestine
Every Sunday
2:00 pm
The Square, Palmerston North
New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge
Friday 15 November
4:30 pm
Paynters Ave Bridge, New Plymouth
New Plymouth – March for Gaza
Saturday 16 November
1:00 PM
Huatoki Plaza, New Plymouth
New Plymouth – Gig For Gaza
Saturday Nov 16
2.15 - 4.30 pm
$10 Koha on entry. All proceeds to Al Manar Trust and Palestine Emergency Relief Fund
Cafe Green Door, Ngāmotu, New Plymouth
Whanganui - Rally for Palestine
Saturday 17 November
11:00 am
Riverside Market, Whanganui
Carterton – Gathering for Gaza
Every Tuesday
12:00 midday
Memorial Square.
Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine
Every Wednesday
11:00 am
The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough
Masterton - Gathering for Gaza
Every Sunday
9:30 am
Town Hall Lawn, Masterton
Featherston – Gathering for Gaza
Every Saturday
11:00 am
The Squircle (opposite the op shop).
Wellington – Flags on the Bridge
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Every Friday
7:15 – 8:15 am
Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington
Wellington – Vigil for Palestine
(hosted by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)
Every Friday
6:00 pm
In front of Wellington Hospital
49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington
Wellington – Boycott Obela rally
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Saturday 16 November
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Outside Chaffers New World
South Island
Nelson – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 16 November
10:30 am
1903 Square, Upper Trafalgar Street, Nelson
Blenheim - Rally for Palestine
Saturday 16 November
11:00 am
Blenheim Railway Station
Christchurch - Flag Waving for Palestine
Friday 15 November
4:00 – 6:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch
Christchurch – Rally
Saturday 16 November
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch
Christchurch – Palestinian Market Day
Sunday 17 November
12:30 pm
Phillipstown Community Hub - 76 Nursery Road, Otautahi
Timaru
No Rally this weekend
Dunedin – All out for Palestine - Rally and March
Saturday 16 November
No Rally this weekend
Queenstown
No Rally this weekend
Invercargill - Rally for Palestine
Sunday 17 November
No Rally this weekend
BDS action: Watch out for the Obela campaign newsletter later this week
In the meantime you may want some of these stickers – send a note to obelastickers@PSNA.nz and we will send you some.
“KOTAHITANGA MŌ TE TIRITI”
PSNA opposes Israeli settler colonialism in Palestine and supports decolonisation here in Aotearoa New Zealand. We encourage all Palestine solidarity supporters to support the Hīkoi as it moves to parliament for the protest next Tuesday.
We are giving full details of the remaining parts of the trip so supporters can get behind the hikoi.
TE IKA A MĀUI
WHEN: 10th – 19th November 2024
WHERE: Starting at Te Rerenga Wairua and traveling Te Ika-a-Māui all the way to Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and to Paremata (Parliment Grounds).
FULL BREAK DOWN OF TIMETABLE, KEY DATES & LOCATIONS BELOW.
IMPORTANT INFO
Please familiarise yourselves with what is happening in your rohe and talk with your whānau and friends to make a plan about how you will get there to join in the hīkoi and the activations at each point.
We will all need to be self sufficient so please think about organising things like kai, wai and where you will be staying for the night at each of the locations as well as someone to drop you off and pick you up after each leg of the hīkoi.
Plan ahead!
Whītiki tauā e hoa mā, kia rite mai tātou!
See you on the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti!!
DAY 3 – 13TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 3 – TE RAKI PAEWHENUA (NORTH SHORE)
TE RAKI PAEWHENUA (NORTH SHORE)
7am: Convoy from Te Kamaka Marae (Hato Petera) to Onepoto Domain
10am: Hīkoi beginning at Onepoto Domain over the Harbour Bridge. Split into 2 groups; to Bastion Point & Ihumatao
TAKAPARAWHAU (BASTION POINT)
2pm: Activation 1 at Bastion Point
Activation 2 at Ihumatao
3pm: Convoy from Bastion Point & Ihumatao to Rangiriri
RANGIRIRI (HUNTLY)
6pm: Karakia at Rangiriri Paa
7pm: Whakatau ki Waahi Paa Marae
177C Harris Street, Huntly
STAY OVERNIGHT
DAY 4 – 14TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 4 – RANGIRIRI (HUNTLY)
RANGIRIRI
8am: Convoy from Waahi Paa (Huntly) to Kirikiriroa Marae
KIRIKIRIROA (HAMILTON)
9am: Meet at Kirikiroa Marae, Hamilton
10am: Hī koi to Garden Place, Hamilton
11am: Activation point at Garden Place, Hamilton
12pm: Convoy from Kirikiriroa Marae to Apumoana Marae, Rotorua
ROTORUA
6pm: Po whiri at Apumoana Marae, Rotorua.
27 Tarawera Road, Rotorua
STAY OVERNIGHT
DAY 4 – 14TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 4 – SH 35 TAIRĀWHITI
PŌTAKA
7am: Karakia at Potaka school then hī koi to Oweka bridge. Convoy from Oweka to Waikohu. Hī koi to Whareka hika
9am: Convoy and hī koi from Whareka hika to Te Araroa
9:30am: H koi from Rangitukia to Tikitiki
10am: Convoy and hīkoi from Te Araroa to Tikitiki (Kahukura Park)
11am: Convoy from Tikitiki to Tapaueroa Valley
11:30am: Hīkoi from Tapaueroa Valley road to Kariaka Pa
12:30pm: Ka tae ki Kariaka Pa
1pm: Convoy from Kariaka Pa to Ma karika Bridge 1
1:30pm: Hīkoi from Makarika Bridge 1 to Te Puia Hotel
2pm: Convoy from Te Puia to Tokomaru
2:30pm: Hīkoi Tokomaru Bay, From Te Wehi to Busby Hill, Convoy to Tologa Bay
3:30pm: Hīkoi from Uawa Rugby Club to Hauiti Hauora
4:30pm: Convoy to Whangara meet at Te Kura o Whangara. Convoy from Whangara to Turanganui a Kiwa, Te Poho o Ra wiri Marae
TE TOKA A TAIAU/TE POHO O RĀWIRI MARAE
6pm: Arrive at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae
24 Ranfurly Street, Inner Kaiti, Kaiti 4010
Stay overnight
DAY 4 – 14TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 4 – MARANGAI MĀHAKI MANO
HINETAPUĀRAU/MATAWAI
10am: Kārakia at Hinetapuarau Pou
10:30am: Convoy from Hinetapua rau through Matawai
11:15am: Stop at Pu ha bridge and then convoy to Te Karaka
12pm: Hīkoi from Waikohu Rubgy Club around Te Karaka
1:30pm: Convoy from Te Karaka to Waerenga a Hika
2pm: Activation at Waerenga a Hika, hui, kōrero
3pm: Convoy to Heipipi Park
HEIPIPI PARK
4pm: Activation/Hīkoi at Heipipi Park
TE TOKA A TAIAU/TE POHO O RĀWIRI MARAE
6pm: Arrive at Te Poho o Rāwiri Marae
24 Ranfurly Street, Inner Kaiti, Kaiti 4010
Stay overnight
DAY 5 – 15TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 5 – ROTORUA
ROTORUA
8am: Convoy from Apumoana Marae, Rotorua to Village Green park
10am: Hīkoi & Activation Point beginning from Village Green park to Te Puia carpark
12pm: Convoy from Te Puia carpark to Heretaunga (Hastings)
HERETAUNGA (HASTINGS)
6pm: Powhiri at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ngati Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.
139 Stock Rd, Bridge Pa, Hastings
Stay overnight
15TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 5 – IKAROA RĀWHITI
FULL ITINERARY
TŪRANGANUI A KIWA
9am: Karakia at Te Poho o Ra wiri and depart for Nuhaka
NŪHAKA
10am: Meet with Rongomai Wahine and Ra kaipaaka at Manutai Marae
11am: Convoy from Manutai Marae to Wairoa
WAIROA
12pm: Hīkoi in Wairoa from Vista Alexander Park to Manukanui Pa (Wairoa Library)
2pm: Convoy from Wairoa to Heretaunga
HERETAUNGA/HASTINGS
6pm: Po whiri at Te Kura Kaupapa MĀori O Ngati Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.
139 Stock Rd, Bridge Pa, Hastings
Stay overnight
16TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 6 – HERETAUNGA
HERETAUNGA (HASTINGS)
8am: Convoy from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ngati Kahungunu ki Heretaunga
to Clock Tower Hastings
10am: Hīkoi & Activation beginning from Clock Tower Hastings through town
12pm: Convoy from Hastings to Papaio ea (Palmerston North)
PAPAIŌEA (PALMERSTON NORTH)
6pm: Pohiri at Te Marae o Hine, Palmerston North.
Stay overnight at Te Hotu Manawa O Rangitaane O Manawatu Marae,
Palmerston North.
17TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 7 – PAPAIŌEA
PAPAIŌEA (PALMERSTON NORTH)
8am: Convoy from Te Hotumanawa o Rangita ne o Manawatu Marae
to Te Marae o Hine.
10am: Hī koi & Activation beginning from from Te Marae o Hine through town
12pm: Convoy from Papaio ea (Palmerston North) to Ōtaki
ŌTAKI
2pm: Activation at O taki Train Station Carpark
4pm: Convoy from O taki to Ngāti Toa Domain
PORIRUA
6pm: Powhiri at Ngati Toa Domain
STAY OVERNIGHT
Stay overnight at Takapūwāhia Marae, Porirua.
24 Ngatitoa Street, Porirua
18TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 8 – PORIRUA
PREPARATION DAY
10am: Takapuwahia Marae, Porirua – Kōrero/Wānanga
STAY OVERNIGHT
Stay overnight at Takapūwāhia Marae, Porirua.
24 Ngatitoa Street, Porirua
19TH NOVEMBER 2024
DAY 9 – TE WHANGANUI A TARA (WELLINGTON)
PORIRUA
6am: Convoy from Takapuwahia Marae to Waitangi Park, Wellington
WAITANGI PARK
9am: Activation & Hīkoi beginning at Waitangi Park to Paremata (Parliament
Grounds)
KOTAHITANGA MŌ TE TIRITI
12pm: Activation at Paremata (Parliament Grounds)
2:30pm: Leave Paremata (Parliament Grounds) to Waitangi Park
WAITANGI PARK
4pm: Waitangi Park: Haukainga concert, farewell & kārakia
Don’t Bank on Apartheid
Right now, ASB KiwiSaver funds have over $14 million invested in Motorola Solutions Inc. who are part of a United Nations list of 116 companies enabling illegal Israeli settlements.4 They are the technology and surveillance arm of the Israeli military and have custom built technologies for this occupying force. Their technology is used in illegal settlements, checkpoints, in the illegal “separation barrier” and by the military.5 Due to the recent ruling at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) there is now also a legal case that we should not be doing business with companies like Motorola.
We are asking ASB to make a choice: divest its KiwiSaver funds from Motorola Solutions Inc. or watch your customers switch en masse on November 29th, Day of Solidarity with Palestinians.
Whether or not you have a Kiwisaver with ASB.
Tautoko Gaza in music
TAUTOKO GAZA
Tautoko Gaza - Aotearoa Artists in Solidarity with Palestine
You can listen and buy the album at the link above - all funds go to Medical Aid for Palestine!
Give this album the big push it deserves!
A great Xmas present.
Get the new BDS app
The BDS movement has officially partnered with Boycat, an innovative ethical shopping platform and application, in order to allow you to join consumer-focused BDS campaigns more effectively.
Since the beginning of Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, calls to boycott companies complicit in Israel’s crimes have never been more popular. Now, the Boycat app makes it easier than ever to correctly identify BDS priority targets. Through the app users can check these regularly updated BDS targets, scan products, learn about companies, build your ethical shopping profile, join local teams and directly support our priority campaigns, ensuring your purchasing decisions contribute to a larger movement for justice.
Quote of the week
“Generations of Israelis will have to live with what we have done in Gaza over the last year … Generations of Israelis will have to explain to their children and grandchildren why we behaved that way. Some will have to explain why they didn’t refuse to bomb. And some will have to explain why they didn’t do more to stop the horror.”
—Michael Sfard, Israeli Human Rights Lawyer here
Essential reading: UNRWA commissioner general statement to the United Nations
See here
Webinar – Defence for Children International
A Year of Lost Childhood in Gaza
11.07.2024
On World Children’s Day, join Defense for Children International - Palestine for "A Year of Lost Childhood," an urgent event amplifying the voices of Palestinian children in Gaza who face a daily struggle for survival. As Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinian children continues to deny them the basic rights to life, education, health, and safety, these young witnesses will share their realities—grieving the loss of loved ones, navigating the trauma of violence, and enduring the deprivation of critical resources. This event sheds light on the brutal impacts of Israel's policies and the relentless violations that strip children of their most fundamental rights.
This event is a call to global action. DCIP will outline ways to mobilize against the genocide facing Palestinian children, urging attendees to advocate for an arms embargo, demand accountability for perpetrators, and challenge the systemic abuses that perpetuate these crimes. Join us in standing with Palestinian children and taking concrete steps to end these injustices.
The webinar will take place on Zoom on November 20 at 12 p.m. Eastern / 9 a.m. Pacific / 5 p.m. GMT / 7 p.m. Palestine time.
Aotearoa Rally for Palestine!
Meet us on the 11th of December in Pōneke! We will start at 11am at Queens Wharf, near the main entrance of TSB Arena, and march to Parliament.
Unable to attend the whole event? Look out on our page for further details of the program in the coming weeks.
We must continue the pressure! We won’t be silent, we won’t surrender! Mai te awa ki te moana, Palestine will be free!
Cactus pear for my beloved – new book by Samah Sabawi
Don't forget to grab a copy of my new book Cactus Pear for My Beloved: A family story from Gaza
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/cactus-pear-for-my-beloved-9781761344978
And once again remember you can still take action on these asks from recent newsletters…
1. Each week thousands of letters are going to all MPs – have you written your letter and sent it to us so we can get it to all MPs?
All the details you need to join the letter-writing campaign are on our website here
2. Have you sent a letter of complaint to your local supermarket about selling Obela Hommus and other products yet?
Sample letter of complaint to your local supermarket
Kia ora,
I am asking you to withdraw Obela Hommus and other Obela products from your shelves because it is supporting the genocide in Gaza. Obela is owned by the Strauss Group in Israel which helps finance and provides “care packages” for Israeli troops involved in genocide in Gaza.
It is unacceptable to have such a product in the store, particularly as the International Court of Justice ruled last month that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is unlawful and that all countries should end any “aid or assistance” to Israel to maintain its illegal occupation.
Selling Israeli products in New Zealand supermarkets is assisting the Israeli economy enabling the occupation to continue.
Please stop selling this product which assists genocide and assists Israel to continue its occupation of in Palestine.
Please get back to me urgently.
Name
Contact details
More details of the campaign will be in the Obela Newsletter special later this week.
Remember BDS for Aotearoa New Zealand
Remember our big six BDS targets for Aotearoa New Zealand?
Obela Hummus and other Obela products
Ahava skin care products
Sodastream
HP (Hewlett-Packard)
BP and Caltex
McDonalds
BIBI - My Story
Watch out for this book in booksellers around the country which celebrates the life of a genocidal racist whom the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court wants to arrest and try for war crimes…
If you see the book in a bookstore, protest to the management and/or be creative in shifting copies out of the public eye, use your imagination….
Important stories this week
Editor’s Pick’s
As Israel insists on using starvation as weapon, famine in northern Gaza must be officially declared here
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes, olive farmers in occupied West Bank here
Number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza rises to 188 here
Damning Report on Canadian Charities Funding Israeli War Crimes Against the Palestinian People
here Watch the press conference on YouTube here or on Instagram here.
Israeli plans for Gaza are even worse than you imagine (with Trump's backing) here
Chris Hedges: The politics of cultural despair – and the American nightmare here
Other Stories
Democrats ignored Gaza and Brought down their party here
Israeli strikes kill scores of Palestinians across Gaza here
Israel bombs northern Gaza house killing 13 children amid ongoing siege here
UK, US carry out air strikes on Yemen, including Sanaa here
Netanyahu's Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza Is on Display for All to See here
Israeli forces used civilians as human shields in Gaza, Palestinians and soldiers say here
Israeli prime minister admits responsibility for mass pager explosions in Lebanon here
Foreign Affairs boss makes privacy complaint against Israeli group here
Erasing 'Any Sign of Life,' Israeli Demolition Teams Razing Entire Villages in Lebanon here
The ghastly treatment of Palestinians from 1948 here (historical video)
Is Israel using depleted uranium to bomb Lebanon? here
UN Agency’s chief urges action from UN members as Palestinians plunging into 'chaos' here
Targeting UNRWA is 'attack on the General Assembly', Turkiye's UN envoy says here
‘We warned you,’ Arab Americans in Michigan tell Kamala Harris here
Tell Maersk to stop shipping weapons used to kill Palestinians here
Kamala Harris’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza ‘betrayal of true feminism’ here
Eugene Doyle: Axis of Genocide vs Axis of Resistance. Whose side are you on? here
(Asia Pacific Report)
New survey finds an alarming tolerance for attacks on the press in the US – particularly among white, Republican men here
Israel admits to ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza here
Trump has two options – obliterate Palestine or stop the war here
Israeli hooligans provoke clashes in Amsterdam after chanting anti-Palestinian slogans here
'Pogrom' Against Hooligans Accusations Follow A Zionist Propaganda Scheme here
In failing to act Australia shirks international law and enables genocide here
Palestinian Christians despair as Gaza homeland destroyed by Israel’s war here
“Whatever Trump does, the scale of Palestinian resistance during this war has demonstrated that the agency in the conflict does not lie with extremist leaders in Israel or Washington.
It lies with the peoples of Palestine and across the Middle East. ...
Never before in US electoral history has Palestine been a factor in turning the youth vote away from the Democratic Party. Henceforth, no Democratic leader wishing to rebuild their coalition can ignore the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim vote”
—David Hearst, Middle East Eye
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
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)