PSNA Newsletter No 98 - June 20 2023
20 Pipiri 2023
20 June 2023
Newsletter No 98
Kia ora koutou,
RNZ Investigation of unauthorised edits of overseas wire stories draws in Palestine
Readers will be aware RNZ has set up an independent investigation of what CEO Paul Thompson described as “pro-Kremlin garbage” being inserted into overseas news reports before they were added to RNZ website.
Since then the issue of unauthorised edits has widened to include stories about the Middle East with claims of some apparently “pro-Palestine” edits making the stories biased.
The pro-Israel lobby pounced claiming Israel was the victim of misinformation while the ACT Party demanded an independent inquiry alongside what amounted to a nasty attack on Palestinians.
Here are two responses – the first from PACC (Palestinians in Aotearoa Co-ordinating Committee) challenging the ACT Party statement and the second from PSNA pointing to the “cruel irony” behind the alleged “pro-Palestinian bias” in the edits.
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Palestinians in Aotearoa Co-ordinating Committee (PACC)
14 June 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
RE: ACT Party leader’s statement regarding Palestine stories on 13/06/2023
As Palestinian New Zealanders, we condemn David Seymour’s, leader of ACT party, use of inflammatory and harmful language against our community in Aotearoa.
Coming largely from migrant and refugee and/ or Muslim background, the Palestinian community in Aotearoa faces an intersectional set of challenges including xenophobia and Islamophobia.
Additionally, the portrayal of Palestinians in media as ‘angry’, ‘irrational’, and ‘violent’ Arab/Muslim and militants turns into racism against members of our community, barriers to participation in society, and feelings of social exclusion. Those are all dangerous tropes that cause harm to the community. It is worth mentioning that among the 51 Muslims who were murdered in 15th of March terrorist attack, six were of Palestinian origin.
The use of inflammatory and mischaracterising language by David Seymour, in relation to Palestinians, promotes further exclusion of our community, and spurs extremism and verbal and physical hate against the community.
We condemn putting our community at equal footing with China in its treatment of Uyghurs, and Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. We also condemn the use of the word “propaganda”, and the framing of “Palestinian-friendly” as an “appalling” evil act.
As a community of everyday New Zealanders, who share a Palestinian heritage, we expect from New Zealand’s political parties mutual respect and a focus on policies and programmes that improve our lives, and to be kept away from political rhetoric that is harmful to our community.
About PACC
We are an inclusive group of Palestinians from a wide range of backgrounds and diverse experiences. We are non-denominational, independent, and politically unaffiliated in Aotearoa New Zealand, Palestine, or internationally. We promote respect for others, non-discrimination, equality, and social justice.
Our mission is to provide opportunities for the diverse Palestinian community in Aotearoa to participate in all aspects of the cultural, social, and political life, as well as provide opportunities for New Zealanders from all walks of life to engage with Palestinian experiences, perspectives, and culture. Our mission includes advocating for Palestinian human rights and enhancing relationships with Iwi, government ministers, human rights organisations, news agencies, social media, and the wider public in New Zealand.
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Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
14 June 2023
MEDIA RELEASE:
Cruel irony in claims RNZ reports are biased in favour of Palestine
“There is cruel irony in reports that Radio New Zealand has edited foreign news reports in favour of Palestinians”, says John Minto, National Chair of PSNA.
It’s ironic because Radio New Zealand reporting is consistently and systematically biased against Palestinians – in large part because RNZ relies significantly on BBC reporting which is methodically dreadful.
PSNA has raised this time and again with RNZ Head of News, Richard Sutherland, but to no obvious effect.
“Whatever tweaks may have been made to some news reports it can’t erase the ongoing RNZ misreporting from the Middle East that comes courtesy of the BBC”.
Systemic anti-Palestinian bias in RNZ reporting from the Middle East:
1) RNZ wire stories typically talk about the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem when they should be reported as the occupied West Bank, occupied Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem. “Occupied” is the status these territories have under international law and United Nations resolutions and NZ government policy and should be consistently reported as such.
2) BBC stories, and by default RNZ, consistently refer to Palestinians resisting occupation as Palestinian “militants” or “terrorists” or similar derogatory and dismissive descriptions.
We wouldn’t call Ukrainian teenagers throwing stones at occupying Russian soldiers as “militants” so why does RNZ think it’s OK to use this term to describe Palestinian teenagers throwing stones at Israeli occupation troops?
Under international law Palestinians have the right to resist Israel’s military occupation and should not be abused for doing so by RNZ. Palestinian resistance groups should be described as “resistance fighters” while Israeli soldiers should be described as “Israeli occupation soldiers”.
3) The BBC, and by default RNZ, will often give wide sympathetic coverage to Israelis killed by Palestinians but do not give similar sympathetic coverage to Palestinians killed, on a near daily basis, by the Israeli occupation.
For example, when two British Israelis were killed earlier this year they received wide sympathetic coverage on RNZ and TVNZ while the hundreds of Palestinians, including dozens of children, killed this year are simply reported as statistics.
4) Wide coverage is given to Israeli spokespeople in most stories with rudimentary reporting, if any, from Palestinian viewpoints.
RNZ’s consistent Eurocentric reporting from the Middle East, particularly in its uncritical use of BBC reports, is insulting to New Zealanders.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
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Something you can do now with just a few clicks…
Email the message below to Willie Akel, chair of RNZ’s independent review committee asking that whatever the findings of the independent investigation, Palestinian New Zealanders and Palestinians in general should not face even greater difficulties in having their struggle heard by New Zealanders through RNZ reporting.
Willie Akel
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Willie Akel
Chair
RNZ Independent Investigation Committee
c/o
support@sangrochambers.co.nz
Kia ora Mr Akel,
I have been deeply concerned to see reports of alleged “pro-Palestinian bias” in Radio New Zealand’s on-line reporting on the Middle East is being used to further pressure RNZ to marginalise Palestinians and Palestinian voices.
Whatever minor changes may have been made to some news reports it can’t erase the systemic and continuous RNZ misreporting from the Middle East that comes via foreign news agencies.
The systemic anti-Palestinian bias in RNZ reporting from the Middle East includes:
1) RNZ wire stories typically talk about the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem when they should be reported as the occupied West Bank, occupied Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem. “Occupied” is the status these territories have under international law, United Nations resolutions and NZ government policy and should be consistently reported as such.
RNZ refuses to do so.
2) RNZ reporting consistently refers to Palestinians resisting occupation as Palestinian “militants” or “terrorists” or similar derogatory and dismissive descriptions.
We wouldn’t call Ukrainian teenagers throwing stones at occupying Russian soldiers as “militants” so why does RNZ think it’s OK to use this term to describe Palestinian teenagers throwing stones at Israeli occupation troops?
Under international law Palestinians have the right to resist Israel’s military occupation, including armed resistance and should not be abused for doing so by RNZ. Palestinian resistance groups should be described as “resistance fighters” or “armed resistance organisations” while Israeli soldiers should be described as “Israeli occupation soldiers”.
RNZ refuses to do this.
3) RNZ reporting will typically give sympathetic coverage to Israelis killed by Palestinians but do not give similar sympathetic coverage to Palestinians killed, on a near daily basis, by the Israeli occupation.
For example, when two British Israelis were killed earlier this year they received wide sympathetic coverage on RNZ and TVNZ while the hundreds of Palestinians, including dozens of children, killed this year are simply reported as statistics.
It is Palestinians who are the victims of ethnic cleansing, land theft, military occupation and unbridled Israeli brutality and yet RNZ reporting frequently gives the impression it’s the other way round.
4) Wide coverage is given to Israeli spokespeople in most stories with rudimentary reporting, if any, from Palestinian viewpoints.
Whatever the findings of your independent investigation, Palestinian New Zealanders and Palestinians in general should not face even greater difficulties in having their struggle heard by New Zealanders through RNZ reporting.
Ngā mihi.
<your name>
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Please consider stopping and sending your email before reading on
It will take less than 2 minutes.
Also, please consider Bcc’ing Secretary@PSNA.nz so we can track how many emails the minister receives.
Or forward your email to me after you have sent it to Mt Akel.
Nga mihi
Neil (Secretary)
Antony Loewenstein to tour in July
We are delighted to announce that much acclaimed author and filmmaker Antony Loewenstein is to tour New Zealand in July to speak at public meetings around the country and promote his latest book “The Palestine Laboratory” which has high-profile international endorsements.
Antony previously toured New Zealand in 2010 to promote his earlier book “My Israel Question”.
Antony Loewenstein
His latest book is The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports The Technology Of Occupation Around The World, released in 2023. Published by Verso in the US + UK and Scribe in Australia + New Zealand, the book is a global investigation into Israel’s endless occupation which gives the Jewish state invaluable experience in controlling an ‘enemy’ population, the Palestinians. It’s here that they have perfected the architecture of control, using the occupied Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they then export around the world. The book is endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Ilan Pappe, Avi Shlaim, Gideon Levy, Eyal Weizman and others.
His other books include My Israel Question, The Blogging Revolution, Disaster Capitalism: Making A Killing Out Of Catastrophe and Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs.
His films include Disaster Capitalism and the Al Jazeera English films West Africa’s Opioid Crisis and Under the Cover of Covid.
A recent opinion piece written by Antony was published in the Sydney Morning Herald here https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-may-13-edition-20230405-p5cygt.html
Antony will be speaking in Christchurch, Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Auckland. More details will be in the next newsletter but confirmed meetings so far are:
Christchurch: Monday 17th July, 7pm at Knox Centre, Cnr. Bealey Avenue & Victoria sts
Hawkes Bay: Wednesday 19th July, 8pm at Greenmeadows Community Hall, 83 Tait Drive, Napier
Auckland: Thursday 20th July, 7pm at the Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road
“The Palestine Laboratory” – important new book by Antony Loewenstein
This important new book by Australian writer Antony Loewenstein is coming out next month and we hope to have Antony over here promoting his book in the next couple of months. In the meantime here are three internationally-renowned endorsements for the book.
‘This is a must-read on a hidden and shocking aspect of the Israeli colonisation of the Palestinians. This book shows clearly that this kind of export is now Israel’s most significant contribution to the global violation of human rights.’
Ilan Pappe, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and Ten Myths About Israel
‘A triumph of investigative journalism. It exposes the ruthlessness with which Israel exploits the experience gained from the illegal occupation to export all kinds of military hardware as well as the technology of surveillance, espionage, cyber warfare, phone-hacking, and house demolition. It also shines a torch on the dark side of Israel’s support for despots around the world. Altogether, a profoundly depressing audit on a country that used to boast of being “a light unto the nations”.’
Avi Shlaim, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab world
‘A sad and sordid record of how “the light unto the nations” became the purveyor of the means of violence and brutal repression from Guatemala to Myanmar and wherever else the opportunity arose.’
Noam Chomsky
More details of the book can be read here and all reviews so far can be found here.
And here is the link to an excellent article in the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this month by Antony Loewenstein – https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-may-13-edition-20230405-p5cygt.html
Daoud Nassar on the Tent of Nations
Daoud Nassar is a Palestinian Christian landowner who runs an educational and environmental family farm called Tent of Nations. His land is surrounded by settlements but he believes in non-violence and aims to build bridges between people, and between people and the land.
A short video clip of Daoud is here.
Daoud is a graduate of Bethlehem University as are many of his family and the university is very proud of the stand he takes to preserve his land. You can see more information at the Tent of Nations website here.
Building towards the “S” in BDS
Message from the BDS national committee:
Israel’s massacres, siege, and land theft against our people are escalating. It has killed at least 158 Palestinians already this year, including many children. Yet, the fact that its government is the most far-right, fundamentalist and sexist ever – with a proud fascist component – gives us an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically build our people power to reach the S in BDS – targeted, lawful sanctions.
Our people’s steadfastness (sumud) and relentless popular resistance are our main inspiration. Despite 75 years of its ongoing Nakba against the Indigenous Palestinians, Israel’s regime of settler-colonialism and apartheid has utterly failed to colonize our minds with despair.
Supported by our intersectional solidarity partners in racial, Indigenous, social, gender and climate justice movements representing tens of millions worldwide, we are building power. Just days ago, the BDS movement celebrated bringing G4S, the world’s largest security company, to its knees, making it end all its business in apartheid Israel
Like apartheid South Africa before it, apartheid Israel derives its power and impunity from the US and Europe. They continue to unconditionally arm it, fund it and shield it from accountability, partly through ruthless bullying and racist repression. But this McCarthyism is a sign of their despair and our strength. They know we shall never rest until Israel receives the full apartheid South Africa treatment.
Building on our grassroots networks, we’re winning more local governments than ever. This year alone, mayors and city councils, from Barcelona (Catalonia) to Liege and Verviers (Belgium), and from Oslo (Norway) to Belem (Brazil), have taken decisive measures against Israeli apartheid and the companies supporting its crimes to express meaningful solidarity with our liberation struggle.
Over the last few years, major state sovereign funds have divested from banks and companies sustaining Israel’s occupation and settlements– a war crime under international law. With Israel’s current political instability and worsening economic troubles (hi-tech shutdowns, capital flight, lower credit rating prospects and drying foreign investments) warranting the #ShutDownNation label, our strategic divestment and corporate accountability campaigns are becoming more effective than ever.
You can donate to the BDS international movement here
Mapping the Nakba – MLN Webinar
Dr Rona Sela and Dr. Heba Yazbak's were two of the speakers on the latest MLN (Movement for liberation from Nakba) speak on the “Mapping the Nakba” webinar. It is well worth your time to watch!
Mexican senate votes to recognise Palestine
“If Palestinians can be rendered stateless and without any real human rights, that situation detracts from our very notion of human rights. It clearly wouldn’t be universal anymore and would be subject to many important exceptions that might render it meaningless. That is, the situation of the Palestinians affects our very conception of what human rights are, and that is why it is so important.”
Senator Héctor Vasconcelos, Mexico’s chairman of the Commission on Exterior Relations, “In wake of Mexican Senate Vote to Recognize Palestine, Palestinians seek to upgrade to Full Embassy in Mexico City”.
Roger Waters speaks out fearlessly for Palestine again
Roger waters speaks out here: https://youtu.be/AwIZoJSrIJU
It’s a very interesting discussion by Roger Waters about the how criticism of BDS and apartheid Israel is leading to dangerous cancel culture and oppressive anti democratic actions throughout ‘liberal” Western societies, the elimination of anything progressive in the current British Labour Party, and worthwhile observations on a number of events and issues.
Definitely worth watching and sharing.
Give a Little page to fundraise for PSNA
To broaden our fundraising base we have set up a “Give a Little” page with a target of $5,000 for a month. Feel free to make a donation yourself or pass on the QR code below to family and friends who may be able to help.
OR
Transfer your donation directly into our account and then email secretary@PSNA.nz for a receipt.
Our account name is: PALESTINE SOLIDARITY NETWORK
Our account number is: 38-9015-0849542-00
“The deadly promise” – book review
PSNA National Chair John Minto was sent this book by the author Gilou Bareau. Here is John’s review on the PSNA website.
Watch out for this man promoting racism and apartheid
Here he is – the Israeli ambassador – watch out for him around Aotearoa New Zealand – if you hear of any planned appearances or speaking engagements please contact us urgently: Email apartheid-Israel@PSNA.nz or text 027 4 APARTHEID or 027427278.
Israeli ambassador Ran Yaakoby
Is your property an “apartheid free zone”?
These are popping up on letterboxes and fences all over the country – to get your “Apartheid free zone” coreflute to stick on your letterbox or your front fence just deposit $5 in:
Account Name: Palestine Solidarity Network
Account Number: 38 9015 0849542 00
and send an email to secretary@PSNA.nz with your address and we’ll send you one - or as many as you’d like for your neighbours and friends….
Petition to Close the Israeli Embassy
If you haven’t signed our petition to close the Israeli embassy yet…
Scan and Sign here
Or Click and Sign here
Important stories from the Web
General:
Xi Jinping backs Palestine entry into Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as Beijing offers to Mediate Israeli-Palestinian Peace here
How the IHRA definition of anti-semitism is chilling Palestine advocacy in Europe here
IHRA antisemitism definition 'suppressing Palestinian advocacy in Europe' here
Labor is being called to adopt neutral language on the Israel-Palestine conflict at its national conference in August here
The One State Reality: What Is Israel/Palestine? here
Israel
How long can Israel keep insulting its benefactors here
Israeli plan to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque presents profound threat to Jerusalem status quo here
Israel Is Officially Annexing the West Bank here
‘Patriarchal and biased’: Israeli women fear loss of rights in legal overhaul here
Jewish identity beyond Israel here
Liberal Zionism is a pillar of Israel’s settler colonial project here
Israel Is Officially Annexing the West Bank here
Israeli brutality
When an Israeli airstrike destroys your house for the second time here
Israel’s military called the settler attack on this Palestinian town a ‘pogrom.’ Videos show soldiers did little to stop it here
Israels OPT Palestinians deaths and extensive destruction in latest Gaza offensive highlight human toll of apartheid here
I saw Israel’s final solution to the Palestinian problem in Lebanon 41 years ago and I see it again today here
Three-year-old Palestinian boy shot by Israeli soldiers dies in hospital here
Palestine
New report describes continuing forcible displacement and dispossession of Palestinian Christians here
56 years of occupation – explaining the Palestinian Naksa here
UN
The rights of civil society members are being violated by all entities in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN Commission of Inquiry says; Israeli Government restrictions intrinsically linked to occupation here
US plans to rejoin UNESCO here
US
Reminder: Dates for Palestine Solidarity in 2023
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
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)