PSNA Newsletter No 80 - September 27 2022
27 Mahuru 2022
27 September 2022
Newsletter No 80
Kia ora koutou,
Call for the United Nations to investigate and dismantle Israeli apartheid
In our last newsletter we asked supporters to send a note to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister asking the Aotearoa New Zealand government to support a United Nations investigation into Israeli apartheid. If you missed the chance you can find the letter to send here.
We want to follow this up with letter to all MPs informing them of this important Palestinian civil society campaign so…
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Three quick things you can do now with just a few clicks now…
Send the link to this letter to your local member of parliament asking them to support this appeal to the United Nations. You can find the email for your local MP here.
Go to the link and share the Palestinian letter on Facebook and Twitter etc
Go to this link to send your own message to United Nations officials urging an investigation into Israeli apartheid.
Final reminder: PSNA National Meeting
8/9 October in Christchurch
Final reminder: We are encouraging supporters to come to the PSNA national meeting to be held on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October in Christchurch at the newly refurbished WEA Building at 59 Gloucester Street, Central Christchurch. The meeting itself will go from Saturday morning till Sunday lunchtime.
Airfare costs:
We want all areas around the country to be represented and we can help with airfare costs to make sure this happens. Please get in touch asap and we will see what we can do – email secretary@PSNA.nz or phone/message Neil on 021414161.
Registrations:
To help with organising catering etc please register your intention to come with Bronwen at bronwensummers@gmail.com
Billets:
We are able to provide billets for everyone coming from outside Christchurch. If you need a billet for Friday and / or Saturday nights please also email Bronwen at bronwensummers@gmail.com
Agenda:
The details of this are still a work in progress but the latest draft is here:
National Meeting Agenda
Saturday 8 October
8.30am MORNING TEA AND REGISTRATION
9.15am Opening
Mihi: Maui Stuart
Welcome, introductions (John Minto)
Apoorva Gautam, Asia Pacific rep from the BDS National Committee (Via Zoom)
9.30am Key Speakers:
Mai Tamimi, a Community Worker of Palestinian origin living in Dunedin,
Maher Nazal - PACC (Palestinians in Aotearoa Co-ordinating Committee)
Fathi Hassneiah - Palestine Youth Aotearoa – “the Palestinian struggle at home and abroad” followed by questions/discussion
10.30am Annual Reports
National Chair PSNA – John Minto
Financial report – Neil Scott (secretary)
11.00am Workshops 1 – Strategies for local organising (Please choose one)
Local screenings of films, and organising local actions (Kathleen Cole, New Plymouth)
BDS international campaigns – Puma (Silver Ferns sponsor), HP and Sodastream (Neil Scott)
Social media – FB, Twitter, Instagram etc (Nedina Hohaia, Brandon Johnstone) TBC
National speaking tours in 2023 (John Minto/Don Carson)
Working with the Palestinian community in Aotearoa (PACC)
11.30pm Plenary
Reports back from Workshops 1
Brief introduction of new campaigns for 2022/23 before discussion in afternoon
NZ observer to IHRA (John Minto)
Close the Embassy campaign (John Minto)
Proposed UN investigation into Israeli apartheid (John Minto)
Apartheid-free zones national campaign (John Minto)
Visiting MP’s and emailing MP’s (Neil Scott)
Banners, Palestinian flags, flyers and stickers available for regional groups (Neil Scott)
12.30pm LUNCH (provided on site – koha)
1.30pm Workshop 2 – Organising in local networks (Please choose one)
Working with Māori organisations (John Minto)
Religious groups – Christian, Islamic, Jewish etc (Steve Liddle/Barbara Menzies/Ahmed Saadeh/Billy Hania/Brian Turner) (TBC)
Trade Unions (Mike Treen, Unite Union; Paul Watson, First Union) TBC
Student organisations (Mika Gale)
2.15pm Reporting back in plenary
3.00pm AFTERNOON TEA
3.30pm Updates:
Julie Webb-Pullman – update on ICC holding Israel to account for war crimes (via Zoom)
Roger Fowler – Kia Ora Gaza – Update on Medical Aid Appeal for Gaza and flotilla update
4.00pm New campaigns for 2022/23
Close the Embassy campaign (John Minto)
Proposed UN investigation into Israeli apartheid (John Minto)
Apartheid-free zones national campaign (John Minto)
5.00pm Updates from Palestine (8am Palestine time)
Sami Hurraini Youth of Sumud on Masafer Yatta struggle against ethnic cleansing.
Six Palestinian human rights organisations declared “terrorist” by Israeli regime (TBC)
Manal Shqair from BNC National Committee and Stop the Wall Campaign
Jeff Halper from ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions)
6.30pm GROUP DINNER
21 York Street (John and Bronwen’s home)
Locals bring something to share – guests from outside – just bring yourselves!
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Sunday 9 October
9.00am Review of structures and election of Committee members
Strengths/weaknesses of our campaigning in 2021/22 (Brandon) TBC
Review of National Structure – what can be improved (Brandon) TBC
Election of National Chair and Secretary
Appointment of National Committee
10.00am Political panel – building support for Palestinian human rights amongst MPs (Don Carson)
Duncan Webb – (Christchurch Central MP and Chief government whip) Labour Party (TBC)
All members of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee are invited (Jenny Salesa (Chair), Gerry Brownlee (Vice Chair), Ingrid Leary, Ibrahim Omer, Golriz Ghahraman, Todd McClay)
11.00am Closing comments (National Chair)
Farewells
11.15am Close
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Hope to welcome many of you to the Garden City in Springtime!
Israeli Ambassador should be first on a plane home
Ran Yaakoby
(PSNA Media release on 23 September)
With the government considering expelling the Russian Ambassador over renewed threats to annex areas of Ukraine, PSNA is calling for the government to first apply the same logic to Israel and expel the Israeli Ambassador.
“The Israeli Ambassador should be the first one on a plane home”, says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “Israel’s policies of annexing (stealing) Palestinian land, denial of human rights to Palestinians and murdering Palestinians who resist its military occupation are legendary.”
In recent years Israel has annexed the Syrian Golan Heights, annexed East Jerusalem and Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened the annexation of vast areas of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
“Today, the latest theft of Palestinian land is underway at Masafer Yatta.”
In the meantime, Israel has destroyed the possibility of a Palestinian state (with hundreds of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land) while running a well-documented apartheid state against Palestinians living under its military occupation”
“Our government often talks about the importance of an international rules-based order. We are prepared to back this up with sanctions on Russia but have allowed Israel to breach international law and United Nations resolutions with impunity”
“Consistency, not hypocrisy, should guide our foreign policy – let’s get Israeli Ambassador Ran Yaakoby on a plane home and then talk about pressure on Russia.”
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
It’s apartheid! What now…? The fight for justice in Palestine
Haneen Zoabi
This webinar will feature prominent speakers including the first female Palestinian Member of the Knesset, Haneen Zoabi, Palestinian politician and prominent community activist, Dr Basel Ghattas, independent journalist and best-selling author, Antony Loewenstein, and APAN Vice-President, Nasser Mashni.
When: Wednesday, 19th October, 8pm
Where: Online
Register for the Webinar here
Facebook stands with Israel’s racists against Palestinians
This report confirms what has been obvious for a long time – the built-in bias in favour of Israel’s racist policies against Palestinians. You can read more in the full release from Euro-Med Monitor here
Important stories from the Web
Palestine in the Elizabeth II era – will Britain atone for its sinful policies here
President Mahmoud Abbas’s speech to the United Nations General Assembly here
Six important reports on Israeli apartheid here
11 corrections for Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s speech to the United Nations here
Let’s be honest – Zionist Israel is built on a tissue of lies here
Israel watches closely as West Bank seethes here
Podcast – Palestinian children living under occupation here
Dismantling apartheid Israel here
AIPAC spent over $350,000 trying to stop Ilhan Omar from being re-elected here
Rashida Tlaib attacked by fellow democrats here
Peaceful resistance turns military might into weakness here
Marvel studios under attack for promoting Israeli brutality against Palestinians here
Israel pressuring Biden to accept terrorist designation for Palestinian NGOs here
From death to life: 40 years after the Sabra/Shatila massacres here
Israeli settlers attack Hafez Hurraini – resisting ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta – and break his hands here
Israeli occupation forces deploy armed drones in occupied West Bank here
Israelis justify killing Shireen Abu Akleh and Biden echoes the same lies 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!
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)
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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)