PSNA Newsletter No 73 - June22 2022
21 Pipiri 2022
21 June 2022
Newsletter No 73
Kia ora koutou,
Filmmakers call out Doc Edge “art-washing” Israeli racism and apartheid
International filmmakers have called out Doc Edge for its “art-washing” of Israeli racism and apartheid against Palestinians.
The filmmakers letter is online at https://tiny.one/DecoloniseDocEdge and we are reprinting it here:
Open Letter to DocEdge from Festival Filmmakers Opposing Apartheid Funding
Tēnā koutou,
As filmmakers and participants in DocEdge Film Festival, we are deeply concerned by the festival’s continued acceptance of funding and official support from the Israeli Embassy. It is an offensive and unacceptable affiliation which we do not endorse.
Numerous human rights organisations conclude Israel’s systemic policies, practices, and human rights violations meet the legal definition of apartheid. In just over the last month alone Israel announced the ethnic cleansing of over 1000 more Palestinians, greenlit plans to build almost 4500 more homes in illegal Israeli settlements, and murdered Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in cold blood before attacking pallbearers and mourners at her funeral. By affiliating with Israel DocEdge are legitimizing an abhorrent and racist apartheid regime which attacks and persecutes the very storytellers they claim to support. It is a blatant contrast to the spirit of a festival.
DocEdge have stated they’re “apolitical” and aim to “facilitate dialogue,” but they’ve actively chosen to accept funding from the apartheid Israeli government and avoided engaging those who’ve expressed concern over the funding since as early as 2018. Unflinching affiliation with an apartheid government discredits any notion of being apolitical. This is not an issue of ‘censorship’ or 'pressure groups’, it is an issue of Israel using culture and art as a form of propaganda, curating an image of sophistication and philanthropy to whitewash its abhorrent crimes and justify apartheid.
Our concern is not fearing Israeli influence in the festival selection, rather, the credibility and legitimisation that Israel gains from DocEdge’s endorsement and platform. Our call isn't to take ‘sides’ or censor films, it is to recognise human rights and to keep our cultural spaces free from the harm and normalisation of racism and colonisation.
Inspired by the international movement that contributed to ending apartheid in South Africa, it is critical to mobilise non-violent pressure on Israel to end its apartheid, persecution, and illegal occupation against Palestinians, making the ‘status quo’ inconvenient enough for Israel to care, and change.
It is in firm solidarity with the Palestinian people and the global recognition of human rights that we request DocEdge end their affiliation with the apartheid Israeli Embassy and divest from a relationship that endorses and legitimizes the systemic and racist persecution of Palestinians.
In solidarity,
Cole Yeoman - ‘The Milford Road’ - Director/Producer
Gabriel Shipton - ‘Ithaka’ - Producer & brother of Julian Assange
Haidy Kancler - ‘Melting Dreams’ - Director/ Writer
Neasa Ní Chainaín - ‘Young Plato’ - Director
David Rane - ‘Young Plato’ - Producer
Rich Felgate - ‘Finite: The Climate of Change’ - Director/ Producer
Julia Maria Diana Jansch - ‘Coming Home’ - Director/ Producer
Olha Zhurba - ‘Outside’ - Director
Kaia Kahurangi Jamieson - ‘Scope’ - Director/ Producer
Two things you can do right now with a few clicks…
Go to our website at this link where there is a letter for you to copy and paste with another message to the organisers, Board and Patron of Doc Edge (see pictures above) asking them to end their support for Israeli racism and apartheid.
Share the “Batman” poster above and this poster on social media during the week
PSNA National Meeting – 8/9 October in Christchurch
Our national meeting will be on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October in Christchurch at WEA – 59 Gloucester Street, Central Christchurch. The meeting itself will go from Saturday morning till Sunday lunchtime.
We are keen to have a great turnout from around the whole country, please make sure cost is not a barrier to any region or centre being represented – we are happy to pay airfares etc to make sure this can happen. All we ask is that people book as early as possible to keep the airfare cost down. Just book your fares and send the receipt to Neil and we will get it paid pronto.
We will be able to provide billets for people coming in from outside Christchurch for both the Friday and Saturday nights. Bronwen will co-ordinate these requests so just email her at bronwensummers@gmail.com
Looking forward to seeing you all in springtime in the Garden City!
Our Vision for Liberation
This is an outstanding book which documents what liberation looks like from Palestinian viewpoints.
A book review by Christchurch-based Lois Griffiths is here
It is presented by outstanding Palestinian author and activist Ramzy Baroud (who toured Aotearoa New Zealand several years back) and renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappe. It is a not-to-be-missed publication!
We have purchased 50 copies for PSNA supporters and we are selling these at $35 per copy to cover our costs. To get your copy simply deposit $35 in our bank account here:
Account name: PALESTINE SOLIDARITY NETWORK
Account number: 38-9015-0849542-00
And then email secretary@PSNA.nz with your address and we will get your copy in the mail! Looking forward to hearing from you!
“How to be a bad Muslim”
Mohamed Hassan’s new book “How to be a Bad Muslim” is described as a “searing, moving book of essays” in Stuff’s Sunday Magazine – see picture below.
It will be helpful in countering Islamophobia and racism against Arabs and Palestinians – something prevalent in the pro-Israel lobby and other fringe groups.
Palestinian Dr Mai Mohammed Hamdi Tamimi receives Queen’s Birthday honour
Scroll down at this link to read about the life and work of Dr Tamimi.
Important stories from the Web
Israeli policy: Kill the messenger, attack the mourners here
Noam Chomsky – video discussing the future of Palestine in the global fight for justice here
What Gabriel Boric’s victory in Chile will mean for Palestine here
The Netherlands – half the population regards Israel as an apartheid state here
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike: Severe health deterioration for Khalil Awawdeh and Raed Rayan here
Israel’s anti-torture body refers to International Criminal Court here
What’s the story? Basil Al Adraa in Masafer Yatta here
Big thief calls off Israeli concert here
Apartheid Israel leads the world in killing journalists here
Two Palestinian Action activists remain political prisoners here
Wellington mayor refuses meeting to explain decision to refuse to fly Palestinian flag on Nakba Day here
Israeli’s paroxysm of Judeo-hate: Richard Siverstein here
PACC call to Boycott Doc Edge Film Festival here
The Australia political parties and their policies on Palestine here
Richard Falk on the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh here
Reminder: Dates for Palestine Solidarity in 2022
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
8/9 October PSNA National Meeting in Christchurch
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 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)
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)