2 Februrary 2021

Newsletter No 38

Kia ora

IHRA definition under consideration by the government

As you know there is pressure on the government from the pro-Israeli lobby to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. The definition is hugely controversial because it is used to defend the indefensible by using false smears of anti-Semitism against critics of Israeli policies.

An excellent new resource summary of the criticisms of the IHRA definition can be found here (click on the link at the bottom of the page)

We would encourage all supporters to send this excellent resource to your local Member of Parliament and request an acknowledgement they have received it.

1. Firstly, find your local MP and their email address at this link

2. Then send them a message such as this…

Kia ora ,

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism

The government is currently considering adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. This would be a serious backward step because the definition is being used around the world to falsely smear critics of Israel as anti-Semitic.

An excellent new resource which summarises the criticisms of the IHRA definition can be found here (click on the link at the bottom of the page for the full catalogue – or you can find the new database here.)

I would like you, as my local MP, to look through this document and send a note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs saying this definition MUST NOT BE ADOPTED. The campaign for Palestinian human rights must not be hobbled by a weak government too scared to stand up to the pro-Israeli lobby.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(your name)

Add your signature to this appeal to Facebook

Jewish Voices for Peace are calling for signatures to a letter to Facebook which is considering revising its hate speech policy to using the word “Zionist" as a proxy for “Jew” or “Jewish”.

The substance of their appeal is here:

“…we are deeply concerned about Facebook's proposed revision of its hate speech policy to consider "Zionist" as a proxy for "Jew" or "Jewish." The proposed policy would too easily mischaracterize conversations about Zionists – and by extension, Zionism – as inherently antisemitic, harming Facebook users and undermining efforts to dismantle real antisemitism and all forms of racism, extremism, and oppression. We cannot dismantle antisemitism if we are blocked from voicing our opinions and sharing our experiences with each other. We can discuss, debate, and even disagree, as long as we share the belief that all of us deserve safety, freedom, and dignity. We ask Facebook to not erect barriers impeding users from connecting with each other as we engage in this work.

You can sign the letter at this link.

Worrying trends at the Human Rights Commission

The Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt has written an opinion piece for the Stuff website and the Dompost newspaper which contains some worrying trends in the fight against racism. Stuff turned down an opinion piece from PSNA Chair John Minto and subsequently also declined to publish his letter. Here is the letter that didn’t pass scrutiny at the Dompost.

There are dangers in creating a “hierarchy of racism” with the Human Rights Commission’s multi-pronged strategy focused on anti-Semitism in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks (Dompost 27 January)

It is best to oppose all forms of racism explicitly and deliberately rather than singling out one group as requiring “special treatment” which is likely to have the opposite effect than that intended.

More worrying is the Commission’s apparent aim to adopt, one way or another, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism which has been used in other parts of the world to condemn as anti-Semitic any calls for sanctions against Israel till it abides by international law and United Nations resolutions.

New Zealand activists called for sanctions against apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s and should be free to campaign for the same against Israeli apartheid without false smears of anti-Semitism.

When the terrorist gunman massacred 51 people at Christchurch’s Al Noor Mosque there were six Palestinians amongst the victims. If their deaths were a catalyst for the Commission or the government to propose policy which would be used to undermine the Palestinian struggle for human rights, that would be unconscionable.

Similar concerns were expressed by the Daily Blog editor Martyn Bradbury in this blog.

PSNA National Meeting – 27/28 March in Auckland

Planning is well underway for our first post-Covid face-to-face national meeting in Auckland on the weekend of 27/28 March. It will be held at the Grey Lynn Library Hall (changed from the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall in Dominion Road).

Grey Lynn Library hall - 474 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland

We hope all centres around the country will be able to be represented at the meeting and we are keen to help with travel expenses for flights etc if necessary. Please don’t let the cost be a barrier to coming! Book your travel now to keep the cost down. (We will be starting at 9am on Saturday and will finish before 1pm on Sunday) Auckland supporters will be providing billeted accommodation.

It’s going to be an important, interesting and stimulating event. We are looking forward to meeting up with you all. Please email secretary@PSNA.nz to register for catering purposes.

We will have details of the venue in the next newsletter.

Weak response from Nanaia Mahuta – she fails to explain why the government won’t speak out against the blatant racism in Israeli vaccination rollout

We recently received a letter from Nanaia Mahuta which attempted to explain why the government would not be speaking out publicly against the racist policy being applied by Israel whereby it is refusing to provide vaccines for 4.5 million Palestinians under Israeli occupation and control (See the last newsletter for our letter to Nanaia)

Tēnā koe John Minto

Thank you for your letter of 6 January 2021.

New Zealand is deeply concerned about the spread of Covid-19 in Palestine and we are monitoring the situation closely. In November 2020, New Zealand voted in favour of the World Health Assembly (the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation) decision on “Health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including east Jerusalem and in the occupied Syrian Golan” which specifically addressed the impact Covid-19 was having on Palestinians.

New Zealand has a strong history of protecting and promoting human rights in Palestine and we regularly engage on these issues in both bilateral and multilateral settings. Most recently, New Zealand registered specific concerns about the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories during official talks with Israel in November 2020.

We are pleased to hear that the first doses of Palestinian Authority-sourced vaccines are due to arrive in late January 2021. Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade officials have also raised the issue of equitable access to vaccines directly with Israeli representatives.

Heoi anō
Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sorry Minister – it’s a weak response to blatant racism – we have higher expectations of you! PSNA has issued this media release critical of the Minister.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

2 February 2021

Media Release:

Government must speak out on Israeli plans to demolish Palestinian medical clinic and continuing refusal to vaccinate 4.5 million Palestinians under its occupation and control

An Israeli government demand that a medical clinic in the Occupied West Bank be demolished has raised another call from the Palestine Solidarity Network for the New Zealand government to speak out.

Israel has instructed inhabitants of the West Bank town of Zanouta to destroy many of their homes and their medical clinic. This follows an earlier Israel demolition of a Palestinians Covid 19 clinic.

PSNA Spokesperson John Minto says not only is Israel denying Covid-19 vaccines to 4.5 million Palestinians under its occupation and control but is using the pandemic as a cover to increase its rate of destruction of Palestinian houses and structures.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has listed 847 demolitions by Israel of Palestinian homes and structures in 2020, most during the pandemic.

John Minto says Israel is obligated to protect medical facilities and provide medical treatment to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

“Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Protocol is quite clear about this. It states and occupying powers; “must adopt and supply the prophylactic and preventative measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics in cooperation with local authorities.”

“Claims by the Israeli government, and their supporters in New Zealand, that supply of vaccines is the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority doesn’t match the facts on the ground.”

“The Palestinian Authority has no administrative presence in Area C which is two thirds of the West Bank. Nor does it have responsibility for the Palestinian political prisoners illegally held in Israeli jails and who are also denied vaccinations.”

“Israel is telling the world how its vaccinating its whole population, without mentioning that its only vaccinating those it allows to be citizens or permanent residents.”

“It is supplying vaccines to its illegal settlers in the Occupied West Bank but denying them to their Palestinian neighbours whose land was taken to build the settlements.”

“The government’s refusal to publicly criticise Israel for its refusal to provide vaccinations for Palestinians under its occupation and control is complicity with racism.

John Minto says a United Nations special report last week makes Israel’s responsibilities clear:

‘Morally and legally, differential access to necessary health care amid the worst global health crisis in a century is unacceptable…

‘The denial of an equal access to health care, such as on the basis of ethnicity or race, is discriminatory and unlawful”

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta is refusing to speak out publicly, unlike her position on human rights in China.”

“She says New Zealand is monitoring the situation. That the government knows what is going on and makes no statement is outrageous.”

John Minto
Spokesperson
PSNA

Resources on the internet

Gill Baillie has sent us this link to a series of excellent resources she has helped produce from her experiences in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to give school students a better understanding of life in occupied Palestine. If you have contact with any social studies or history teachers please pass on the link to them.

Important stories from the net

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

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

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)

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 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 PSNA Wellington (Email)
Nelson Te Tau Ihu (Nelson) Palestine (Facebook)
Christchurch PSNA Christchurch (Facebook)
Dunedin Dunedin for Justice in Palestine (Facebook)
Invercargill PSNA Invercargill (Email)

PSNA Newsletter No 38 - Februray 2, 2021