PSNA Newsletter No 78 - August 30 2022
30 Heriturikōkā 2022
30 August 2022
Newsletter No 78
Kia ora koutou,
Good news at last…
It’s nice to begin the newsletter with good news. Our government has finally spoken out clearly against Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Masafer Yatta and Israel’s savage military raids on the offices of six Palestinian human rights organisations.
PSNA has welcomed two tweets from Aotearoa New Zealand’s ambassador to Egypt and Special Representative to the Palestinian Authority, Greg Lewis, issued in the last few days:
Sami Hurraini was one of the Masafer Yatta residents who spoke with Ambassador Greg Lewis during his visit
The tweets are here: https://twitter.com/NZinEgypt/status/1563129930300342275 You can add a supportive comment.
In a media release last week PSNA National Chair John Minto said “For a long time we have been critical of the government in failing to speak out in support of Palestinians suffering under Israel’s racist apartheid policies”, says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “We are delighted to be able to speak out in support today”.
He went on to say “We hope this will lead to the government holding Israel to account for breaches in international human rights law and United Nations resolutions”
If you haven’t already done so - send a brief message of support to the people of Masafer Yatta. These messages will be translated into Arabic and forwarded to the people under threat of ethnic cleansing. Email your message of support to manal@stopthewall.org
You can thank the government with just a couple of clicks…
Copy and paste this email to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Kia ora Ms Mahuta,
n.mahuta@ministers.govt.nz
Thank you for speaking out clearly against the Israeli government’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians at Masafer Yatta and its on-going attacks on Palestinian human rights organisations.
It is only by openly challenging Israel will it be forced to change its apartheid policies which have been well described by Palestinian human rights organisations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
I hope this will lead to the government putting in place accountabilities for Israel for its breaches of international human rights law and United Nations resolutions.
Ngā mihi,
<your name>
Israel’s attacks on Palestinian human rights organisations
Below is a letter from Brad Parker at Defense for Children International after Israeli raids against the organization two weeks ago. A news account of the raids is here.
You can follow the links in the letter to show your support. You can donate to Defense for Children International here.
Brad Parker
Early this morning, Israeli forces raided our headquarters. More than a dozen Israeli soldiers forced open the office’s locked front door and removed a computer, photocopier, printer, and client files related to Palestinian child detainees represented by DCIP’s lawyers in Israel’s military courts. They exited the office after 45 minutes, welding shut the entry door and leaving a notice taped to the door ordering the office closed declaring DCIP an illegal organization.
Let's be clear: Sealing and closing our office door will not silence us. We reject the Israeli designation of DCIP as a "terrorist" organization and all repressive tactics aimed at eliminating our work protecting and defending the rights of Palestinian children. We urgently need the international community to show their solidarity with Palestinian civil society and denounce this serious escalation against Palestinian human rights defenders.
Call for accountability on social media:
Israeli forces also raided the offices of the five other Palestinian civil society organizations criminalized by the Israeli government—Al Haq, Addameer, Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees.
This raid is the most recent move in a years-long campaign of repression against DCIP and our work exposing Israeli violations of Palestinian children's rights. Thank you for standing by our side as we challenge these repressive actions by Israeli authorities and continue advocating for Palestinian children.
In solidarity,
Brad Parker
Senior Adviser, Policy and Advocacy
Defense for Children International – Palestine
Apartheid in action –
Three weeks ago 50 Palestinians were thrown out of an Israeli bus after three Jewish settlers refused to travel with non-Jews. The story was reported here.
At a 2021 protest against Israel’s segregated transport. Story here
Boycott Pop-Kultur 2022
Four artists have withdrawn from Pop Kultur Berlin this year, in protest at its partnership with apartheid Israel! They join at least fifteen others to have boycotted the music festival since 2017, responding to private and public appeals from human rights defenders.
Parisian artist Lafawndah wrote in her eloquent statement that “the festival’s stance is an effective show of support for racism, colonial brutality and murder, despite its savvy marketing language touting inclusion, diversity and tolerance.”
You can click to tweet your support for the boycott of Pop–Kultur 2022
Thank you all - Medical Aid Appeal for Gaza raised $10,000 for the besieged people of Gaza!
A big thank you to everyone who donated to the Medical Aid appeal for Gaza. The $10,000 raised was a fantastic result and will make a significant contribution for the urgent medical needs of Gaza’s struggling health system which has been severely degraded from 17 years of Israel’s blockade.
In case you missed the appeal you can still donate – see details below
Account Name: Kia ora Gaza Trust
Account Number: 03-0211-0447718-000
Email: office@kiaoragaza.net with your deposit details so we can send you an e-receipt.
Remember 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
If you don’t need a billet please email Bronwen anyway to let her know you are coming. This will make the organisation of lunch easier.
Looking forward to seeing you all in springtime in the Garden City!
Cease Apartheid: Asia Pacific in Solidarity with Palestine
You can join this Asia Pacific solidarity action against Israeli apartheid by signing the petition here
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!
Important stories from the Web
Drone-powered audio surveillance of the outdoors — via tech from ShotSpotter — is assisting Israel’s control of Palestinians. Sign the petition to stop ShotSpotter here
The Second Victims of the Holocaust here
Israeli onslaught against Nablus continues killing Palestinians here
Hamas happy Israel decimated Islamic Jihad? here
You can donate to Friends of Hebron here
Congresswoman calls on white house to condemn Israeli closures of Palestinian NGOs here
Interactive maps from ICAHD (International Committee Against House Demolitions) here
Palestinians have had enough of Europe’s Holocaust hypocrisy here
Khalil Awawdeh detained without trial and now on hunger strike for more than 180 days here
Israel admits to killing five children in a raid on a cemetery in Gaza here
University of Melbourne statement on Palestine, BDS and apartheid here
Israel-Palestine rights groups back UN Commission here
Support the BDS movement internationally by making a donation here
Biden expresses concern over IDF raids but refuses to condemn them here
100 days later the world still demands justice for Shireen Abu Akleh here
Distorting the Holocaust to bolster the international arms trade here
With Iran deal closer than ever Israel presses for war here
When will the west support the Palestinian right to defend themselves here
Israel is normalizing terrorism – one dawn at a time here
Feel free to share these links on your social media pages.
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)