PSNA Newsletter No 30 - September 1, 2020
1 September 2020
Newsletter No 30
Kia ora PSNA Supporter
We start this newsletter with a reminder of the Speak up for Palestine Protest
On the steps of parliament
Tomorrow - Wednesday September 2nd
12 noon
Come if you can! Encourage family and friends to also join! Spread the word!
Break the government’s protective cone of silence around Israel
The protest will be focusing on issues where New Zealand should be speaking out. These include:
The outbreak of Covid 19 in the Gaza Strip with the Israeli blockade preventing medical supplies or fuel from entering despite worldwide calls from the international community
The continuing Israeli bombing of the Gaza strip (the government has refused to speak out in response to our letter from the last newsletter)
The purchase of military weapons from Israeli companies Elbit Systems and Roboteam
The on-going threat from Israel to annex (steal) more Palestinian land Come along and Speak up for Palestine!
Will the New Zealand government join the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and adopt, what international experts call, its Massively Flawed definition of anti-Semitism?
It seems the government is considering joining the IHRA with its Massively Flawed definition of anti-Semitism. A definition that has been used around the world to shut down Free Speech on Palestine/Israel - See below.
The IHRA champions educational programmes about the holocaust. We support it’s work in this area but education about genocide should not consider just one example but must include genocide in places like Rwanda, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Armenia and Bosnia and the Palestinian Nakba.
To outline the issues here is a copy of the letter we have sent to Minister of Justice Andrew Little:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
26 August 2020
Andrew Little
Minister of Justice
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
a.little@ministers.govt.nz
Kia ora Andrew,
Re International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism
We understand the government is considering adopting the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of anti-semitism.
I’m writing on behalf of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa which advocates for Palestinian human rights and which is also strongly opposed to racism in all its forms – including anti-Semitism.
Our members have protested against racist spray-painting attacks on Jewish graves and synagogues just as we have marched in support of the Islamic community after the horrific events of March 15 last year.
There are serious problems with the IHRA definition of anti-semitism and we ask that the government reject it. It is used in several US states and some European countries to claim Palestinian human rights activists are anti-semitic when they call for action against Israel until it complies with international law and United Nations resolutions. The definition is being used in these countries as a weapon to deny free speech and freedom of political action to those standing up for the victims of Israel’s brutal military occupation of Palestine and ongoing theft of Palestinian land.
The IHRA definition was always intended as a guideline for researchers, not as a prescriptive description of anti-Semitism. The main drafter of the resolution, Kenneth Stern, has cautioned against its use in resolutions or legislation and is quite emphatic that it must not be misused as appears to be proposed by the government.
Here is what he has to say on the IHRA Wikipedia page:
“The main drafter of the working definition and its examples, Kenneth S. Stern, cautioned against the free speech implications of its use as a legal tool.[26] He has opposed efforts to enshrine it in legislation[98] and wrote a letter to members of the US Congress warning that giving the definition legal status would be "unconstitutional and unwise" in December 2016.[99] In 2011, he co-authored an article about how the 'Working Definition' was being abused in Title VI cases, because it was being employed in an attempt to "restrict academic freedom and punish political speech." In November 2017, Stern explained to the US House of Representatives that the definition has been abused on various US university campuses. He warned that it could "restrict academic freedom and punish political speech" and questioned whether definitions created by minority groups should be legislatively enshrined, giving as one of several examples.[26]
"Imagine a definition designed for Palestinians. If "Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, and denying Israel the right to exist" is antisemitism, then shouldn't "Denying the Palestinian people their right to self-determination, and denying Palestine the right to exist" be anti-Palestinianism? Would they then ask administrators to police and possibly punish campus events by pro-Israel groups who oppose the two state solution, or claim the Palestinian people are a myth?"[26]
He states that the definition was created "as a tool for data collectors in European countries to identify what to include and exclude from their reports about antisemitism, and to have a common frame of reference so that data might be compared across borders."[98] He "encouraged the Department of State's first Special Envoy for Antisemitism to promote the definition as an important tool." He used it effectively as the framework for a report on global antisemitism. He added: "approaches to antisemitism that endorse and promote academic freedom are more likely to work, in part because they underscore the academy's goal of increasing knowledge and promoting critical thinking.... approaches that explain academic freedom away or harm it will not only fail, they make the problem worse."[26]
We do not want the government to “make the problem worse” and adopt a definition which will be used to attack and demonise those who stand up for international law and United Nations resolutions and work hard for Palestinian human rights.
For example, the City Council in Munich, Germany, has used the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism to condemn Palestinian activists calling for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel and have denied the use of city council facilities to Palestinian human rights organisations.
Palestinian activists here in New Zealand have already faced attempts by pro-Israeli groups to deny them access to facilities for meetings and events and last year a local school faced a determined attempt to stop me speaking after I had been invited to do so with students at a lunchtime meeting using baseless claims that I was anti-Semitic.
These pressures will increase dramatically if the IHRA definition is adopted by the government.
Meanwhile Jewish groups in New Zealand and around the world have spoken out strongly against the misuse of the IHRA definition and in 2018 over 40 Jewish groups expressed their support for BDS and attacked attempts to equate calls for boycotts of Israel with anti-Semitism.
An open letter from these Jewish groups said in part:
“As social justice organizations from around the world, we write this letter with growing alarm regarding the targeting of organizations that support Palestinian rights in general and the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in particular. These attacks too often take the form of cynical and false accusations of antisemitism that dangerously conflate anti-Jewish racism with opposition to Israel’s policies and system of occupation and apartheid”
Similar sentiments have come from Nobel Peace Prize winner and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu who says the world should call out Israeli policies towards Palestinians as “apartheid” and implement a boycott of Israel.
New Zealand has a proud history of standing up in support of the struggle against South African apartheid and we must do the same against Israeli apartheid.
It would be tragic if, on the back of the horrific events of March 15 last year, the government adopted the IHRA definition which will be used to deny freedom of speech to members of the Islamic community in New Zealand, some of whom are Palestinians, when they speak out against Israeli apartheid.
It would be a dark day for democracy, free speech and human rights if the government were to adopt this definition. It would put the government on the wrong side of history.
We look forward to hearing from you shortly.
Ngā mihi mahana.
Nā,
John Minto
National Chair
PSNA
0220850161
Letter writing for Palestine – improve your skills
This is an online training Writing great letters to the editor with Maher Mughrabi
Monday 14 Sept,
5.30-6.30pm
Online
Maher was the former features editor at The Age in Australia and this training session will help anyone wanting to write to the media in support of the Palestinian struggle.
Register here.
Election pledges for all parliamentary candidates
These will be sent out to all candidates when nominations close on 18 September.
Keep watching 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)