PSNA Newsletter No 23 - May26 2020
26 May 2020
Newsletter No 23
Kia ora PSNA Supporter
The coming month brings a big challenge to the New Zealand government as the world faces the Israeli threat to annex vast areas of the occupied Palestinian territories. Our letter to the Prime Minister is in this newsletter.
This newsletter also includes several other ways we can all work together to support the struggle.
One thing you can do now – donate to this urgent appeal for NZ $4,000 to help hold Israel to account for war crimes
Can you donate to this URGENT APPEAL for NZ$4,000 to employ two Palestinians in Gaza to work for the Gaza Center for Human Rights on collating and processing evidence of Israeli war crimes for the International Criminal Court?
Last year PSNA raised $US6,000 to help in this work through New Zealander Julie Webb-Pullman. In the last two months however two temporary staff working with Julie have had their promised funding source dry up through Covid 19 disruption. This work is critical in beginning to hold Israel to account and, through us, Julie is asking for donations to replace the promised funding. If you can help please donate on-line to this account and put GCHR in the particulars. Thanking you in anticipation…
Account name: PALESTINE SOLIDARITY NETWORK
Account number: 38-9015-0849542-02
Reference: GCHR
“The Truth: Lost at Sea” Special on-line film screening – this Sunday 31st May 6pm
Mavimarama
Kia Ora Gaza will co-host a special (free) on-line screening of the award-winning film ‘The Truth: Lost at Sea’, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Israeli commando attack on the Mavi Marmara. The film will be followed by a discussion with the Palestinian film-maker and Mavi Marmara survivor Rifat Audeh and Palestinian/Australian writer, human rights advocate, Samah Sabawi.
In 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of six civilian boats carrying humanitarian aid, attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza to bring international attention to the plight of 2 million Palestinians living under a brutal Israeli land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip.
After refusing Israel’s demand to turn away, the flotilla continued on course through international waters, and the Israeli Occupation Forces launched their deadly night-raid attack with guns and stun grenades. On one of the boats, the Mavi Marmara, the Israeli commandos shot and killed nine unarmed human rights activists on board and a tenth later died of his injuries. Over fifty others were wounded. People on the other boats were also beaten up. The film details what happened that night unravelling how the story was spun by the media.
NOTE: The screening starts at 6pm NZ time on Sunday 31 May. Please register via this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J8gNesjRSV2GDwElBgm3XA
This is a link to the FaceBook Event page – please share: https://www.facebook.com/events/328558108108795/
Note also: The next Freedom Flotilla to Gaza will sail after Covid-19 travel restrictions have been lifted. Kia Ora Gaza is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. To stay up to date with Freedom Flotilla Coalition campaigns and events check out our NZ website: https://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com and: https://freedomflotilla.org/
Reflections on Nakba Day
We were very pleased with the success of our on-line rally with Gaza on 10 May to mark Nakba Day (Nakba is Arabic for “catastrophe”) which remembers Israeli ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and land in 1947-1949.
We heard directly from medical authorities, community activists, journalists and Nakba survivors along with the Sabreen Annajjar – the mother of Razan Al-Najjar.
Razan (pictured above) was the 21-year-old female paramedic killed by an Israeli sniper in the March of Return in 2018.
Gaza has so far prevented community transmission of Covid 19 but this is unlikely to hold in the medium term. New Zealand must act. If you haven’t already done so you can sign our letter to the government here.
If you missed the online rally you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uoL2Hz4JsY&t=3s
Other Nakba reflections
Here are two of the many important reflections on 2020 Nakba Day.
https://www.georgebrowning.com.au/
and
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/11/guest-blog-lois-griffiths-nakba-day/
The threat of annexation
We have written to the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs urging action to signal to Israel that New Zealand will not stand idly by if the proposed annexation of Palestinian land goes ahead. Here is our letter:
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
26 May 2020
Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Kia ora Ms Ardern,
New Zealand’s response to the proposed Israeli annexation of Occupied Palestinian Territory
A new Israeli government was sworn in last week and is promising to annex vast swathes of Palestinian land in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partner Benny Gantz have signalled this intention over many months and now intend to proceed with a gross breach of international law and United Nations resolutions going back over 70 years.
Successive New Zealand governments have said they believe in a strong rules-based system of accountabilities for the flouting of international law and it is now critical for New Zealand to speak out unambiguously against any such annexation and in defence of the rights of Palestinians.
Most New Zealanders were pleased when the previous National-led government co-sponsored United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 in December 2016 which said Israel’s settlement building on occupied Palestinian land constituted a "flagrant violation" of international law and had "no legal validity". It demanded Israel stop such activity and fulfil its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Israel ignored this resolution, as it has ignored numerous other UN resolutions, and is proceeding to compound its violations of international law with the annexation of these settlements.
It is Israel’s impunity from effective international action which drives these unilateral actions and its on-going racist abuse of Palestinian rights.
To the best of our knowledge the current New Zealand government has NEVER spoken out against the policies or actions of Israel, even in 2018 when Israeli snipers were killing unarmed Palestinian protesters, many of them children, through the Israeli blockade fence around Gaza.
Anaemic public statements calling on both sides to exercise “maximum restraint” alongside the decision to proceed earlier this year with signing a Technical, Innovation, Research and Development Agreement with Israel give a nod and a wink to the most egregious, brutal behaviour of the Israeli government. New Zealand is bigger than this.
We have been impressed at the New Zealand government speaking out strongly and publicly against the Chinese government’s proposed restrictions on freedom and autonomy for the people of Hong Kong. We would expect a much stronger response from the government in regard to Israel because of its long history of thumbing its nose at international law and United Nations resolutions and its brutal abuses of Palestinian human rights.
We would welcome a government statement which signals that should Israel press forward with the threat of annexation of Palestinian land, the government will immediately suspend all bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements with Israel.
We look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Nā,
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
Johnminto@orcon.net.nz
0220850161
cc Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
w.peters@ministers.govt.nz
New digital posters
Here is another sample poster we are working on for the series we mentioned in the last newsletter.
Two new books provide great reading during the lockdown
Dances with Death - A new book by Palestinian New Zealander – Tuma Hazou
“Written without rancour, Tuma Hazou’s account of his wartime reporting experiences is an engaging, authentic and rare Palestinian account of recent Middle-East events and of nerve-wracking personal trauma” - Janfrie Wakim - Auckland
Tuma is a Palestinian New Zealander. He was planning to attend book launches around the country but that’s not possible. You can purchase a book from Tuma at gandthazou@gmail.com
Still Lives – Marilyn Garson
Canadian-Kiwi Marilyn writes of her experiences working in GAZA under the Israeli blockade from 2011 to 2015. It’s a great book and has been accepted for the Auckland Writers Festival.
Order your eBook here or order a physical copy at www.marilyngarson.com
Guidelines for engaging on social media
Our national committee recently discussed the best ways for us to engage in supporting Palestine in social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc and we came up with these guidelines for PSNA supporters. We would welcome feedback to secretary@PSNA.nz
PSNA Online Policy Guidelines
Social media is an unregulated space where there are many opportunities to get clear pro-Palestinian messages out to a wider audience than through traditional mainstream media. We need as many voices as we can muster speaking out on all social media platforms. Our goal is to amplify the Palestinian side of the issue which has previously been lost in a sea of pro-Israeli lies which has so often dominated media reporting. However, there are potential dangers to avoid. Keep these guidelines in mind when you engage with social media:
When we encounter pro-Israeli trolls on social media we should attack their views rather than attack them personally – stick to the issues and avoid being side-tracked. Be assertive but stay on track.
Remember the real target is the wider social media audience. We won’t convince individual pro-Israeli trolls to support the Palestinian struggle but those reading and watching an exchange are our real audience. We must keep them as the real target for our social media activism.
Calling out racism in all its forms, such as white supremacy, Islamophobia or anti-Semitism builds consistency with the messages of support for Palestinian rights and places into context the fundamental racist premise on which the state of Israel is founded.
People in leadership or spokesperson roles within PSNA and its affiliates should be especially careful in social media interactions because as we become more effective in advocating for Palestine we will face more vitriolic, personal attacks from elements of the extremist pro-Israeli lobby who will look for ways to undermine our kaupapa by undermining us.
New Merchandise
T shirt Free Palestine End Israeli Occupation medium size only $22
Kaffiyeh 110 x 110 $44 + postage
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 Networt
Account number: 38-9015-0849542-00
Or Pay Pal account: admin@palestinesolidaritynz.net
We are happy to provide a receipt upon request (however, we are not a registered charity so this is not tax-deductible)
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 mailto:admin@palestinesolidaritynz.net?subject=Flags and Banners 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: http://PalestineSolidarityNZ.net/index.html
o NZ Palestine Solidarity Network Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/671376706283605/
o NZ Palestine Solidarity Network email: admin@PalestineSolidarityNZ.net
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)
Regional Branches and Affiliates
Regional
Bay of Islands PSNA Bay of Islands (Email)
Whangarei PSNA Whangarei (Facebook)
Auckland PSNA 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 PSNA Palmerston North (Email)
Wellington Wellington Palestine (Website)
Nelson Te Tau Ihu (Nelson) Palestine (Facebook)
Christchurch PSNA Christchurch (Facebook)
Dunedin Dunedin for Justice in Palestine (Facebook)
Invercargill PSNA Invercargill (emial)
Affiliates