PSNA Newsletter No 28 - August 4 2020
4 August 2020
Newsletter No 28
Kia ora PSNA Supporter
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to flail hopelessly amid dreadful management of the coronavirus outbreak, mass protests outside his home demanding his resignation and the fraud and corruption charges against him which are now before the Israeli courts.
Meanwhile attacks on Palestinians and the ethnic cleaning of East Jerusalem and neighbourhoods across Occupied Palestine continues under the international radar.
On the positive side Israel is losing its propaganda and disinformation battle. Important opinion shaper in the Jewish community in the US Peter Beinhart, has caused a sensation with his abandonment of Israel as a Jewish state, arguing instead for a single state in Historic Palestine where everyone has equal rights. Alongside Beinhart Jewish writer/comedian Seth Rogen says Israel is “ridiculous, antiquated and based on lies about other people’s land”
Paint Your Buildings. . .
Here in Aotearoa one of our supporters Doug Robertson has painted this mural on the side of his building in the far north! Brilliant!
We might not all have a building to paint but we can all can buy and fly a Palestinian flag.
Email Secretary@PSNA.nz to access a Palestine flag.
This week we want you to act against the policies of the New Zealand Defence Force. Read on…
Hypocrisy at the heart of the New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force was heavily criticised last week for misleading the public about the deaths of civilians during an SAS attack on two villages in Afghanistan. It was only through revelations in the book Hit and Run by investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson that the truth has been finally revealed.
The same NZDF arrogance is in play with their purchase of weapons from Israeli military weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
In 2012 the New Zealand Superfund withdrew its investments from Elbit Systems because the company was involved in building Israel’s apartheid wall – a breach of international law.
However the NZDF has ignored the moral issues with Elbit Systems or trade with Israel and has continued to purchase weapons from Elbit Systems. To make matters so much worse New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark visited Elbit Systems in January last year to look at further opportunities for New Zealand to buy from these racist law breakers.
New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark
Write to the New Zealand Prime Minister calling on the government to direct the New Zealand Defence Force to cease all military purchases from Elbit Systems.
Example of a letter you could send:
Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
j.ardern@ministers.govt.nz
Kia ora Ms Ardern,
Re Elbit Systems Limited and the New Zealand Defence Force
I am writing to urge you to urge you to direct the New Zealand Defence Force to cease all purchases from Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
In 2012 the New Zealand Superfund withdrew its investments from Elbit Systems because the company was involved in building Israel’s apartheid wall – a breach of international law.
However, the New Zealand Defence Force has continued to thumb its nose at international law and purchase military equipment from Elbit Systems.
This double standard must stop.
Please respond urgently.
Nā,
(your name)
Seen around London – a message for New Zealand too…
Three victories in the last couple of days
We reported in the last newsletter on the Humboldt 3 - a Palestinian from Gaza and two Israeli Jewish activists who were arrested in 2017 when they interrupted an anti-BDS propaganda speech by an Israeli Knesset (parliament) member at Humboldt University of Berlin. They appeared in court this week and have declared victory!
Manchester university divests from firms complicit in Israeli occupation
SOAS in London has abandoned an agreement with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
A webinar not to be missed
The Australian BDS group has organised this exciting and important webinar.
Register for this webinar here: https://bdsaustralia.net.au/black-palestinian-forum/
A petition which deserves our attention – Drones over Gaza
Have a look at this short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJR0rJNzmvE
And then sign the petition here: http://chng.it/cMK6WqVf5C
Free Mahmoud Nawajaa
In the early hours of July 30th, dozens of Israeli soldiers broke into the home of General Coordinator of the Palestinian National BDS Committee in Kafr Abu Qash [in the occupied West Bank], Mahmoud Nawajaa, handcuffed and blindfolded him, and marched him out, in front of his wife and children. The story is here. And the action to take is here.
Election pledges for all parliamentary candidates
Friday 21 August is the final date for nominations for the 2020 General election and from that date we will be sending all candidates our election pledges for Palestine.
We will include details of the pledges in a coming newsletter and we will be encouraging all our supporters to follow up these pledges with their local candidates – by email, facebook, twitter and in person at public meetings.
Watch this space!
Boycott Hewlett-Packard! Don’t buy HP!
PSNA will be joining the international campaign against Hewlett-Packard in a more strategic way in the future but in the meantime BDS Australia has taken on this campaign and have some excellent material we should read to get up to speed with it. Here are two important links to look at in the meantime:
The online HP campaign page is here: https://bdsaustralia.net.au/campaigns/dont-buy-hp-products/
And the online petition is here: https://bdsaustralia.good.do/boycotthp/individualpledge/
Dances with Death - Tuma Hazou
“In this book I recount my many 'brushes with death' reporting on hostilities in the turbulent Middle East. The on-going conflicts and upheavals in the region have their roots in the infamous 1917 British Balfour Declaration committing Britain to set up in Palestine a national state for the Jews, ignoring the Muslim and Christian majority population.
The book ends with an overview of the prevailing dire consequences of the 1967 June War.
Addendums to the book add further substance to the personal traumatic narrative and related historical facts”
Books can be ordered directly from the author 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. This is a book which brings to life the horrific brutality of the 2014 Israeli invasion of Gaza which left over 300 killed – including over 500 children. Marilyn documented her experiences as she worked through this horror. It is a MUST READ.
You can purchase this from your local bookshop or order your eBook here or order a physical copy at www.marilyngarson.com
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 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)
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)
New Plymouth PSNA New Plymouth (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 (Email)