PSNA Newsletter No 101 - August 8 2023
8 Here-turi-kōkā 2023
8 August 2023
Newsletter No 101
Kia ora koutou,
Women’s Football World Cup has two PUMA-sponsored teams
As the Women’s Football World Cup enters its final rounds (finishing on August 20) we are focusing on the Puma sponsorship of two of the competing teams – Morocco and Switzerland.
Underlining the enormous hurdles for Palestinian women’s soccer teams is this story how “The Israeli blockade and military checkpoints shatter World Cup dreams of Gazan girls”
Something you can do right now with a few clicks…
Copy and paste this letter to the Moroccan and Swiss Football Associations.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fouzi LEKJAA
President
Morocco Football Association
contact@frmf.ma
Dominique BLANC
President
Swiss Football Association
info@football.ch
Kia ora Fouzi and Dominique,
Request for Morocco Football Association and Swiss Football Associations to end sponsorship deals with PUMA
I was very concerned to learn that the Morocco Football Association and the Swiss Football Associations are sponsored by PUMA for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
We have been involved in protests for several years encouraging the public to boycott PUMA goods because of its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association. The Israel Football Association includes football clubs based in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land and despite many appeals from human rights organisations, in Israel and around the world, PUMA has refused to dissociate itself from these illegal settlements.
PUMA’s actions, as the only sponsor of the IFA, ties the company to the IFA’s policies which are aligned with Israel’s appalling policies towards Palestinians.
It’s important to understand that the issue of settlements goes to the heart of the Israeli government’s racist, apartheid policies towards the indigenous people of Palestine. The establishment and expansion of these settlements, illegal under international law, involves driving Palestinian families from their homes and off their land. This is an ongoing part of the Nakba (“catastrophe”) under which Palestinians have suffered ethnic cleansing every day since 1948.
The settlements are an integral part of Israel’s military occupation which robs Palestinians of natural resources and denies them their right of movement.
In contrast to the behaviour of the IFA in recognising sports teams from illegal settlements, Palestinian sportspeople are often forced to abandon practices, games and tournaments due to Israeli Defence Force harassment at checkpoints and Israeli government policies to make them refugees in their own land.
When young Palestinians protest to demand an end to the theft of their land many have been murdered by Israeli snipers and many more lose their legs, also from sniper fire, and the chance to play sport. Many young Palestinians have had their sports careers ended in this way.
For these reasons we are requesting the Moroccan Football Association and the Swiss Football Associations end their sponsorship by PUMA and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you shortly.
Na,
<your name>
Another thing you can do right now with just a few clicks…
Post a meme about PUMA’s – and FIFA’s collaboration with apartheid Israel. PUMA is sponsoring Israeli football teams in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land. Below are pasted five memes you can post on your social media pages. More memes you can check out are here.
Swim in solidarity with Gaza’s children on August 26th
Yes we know it’s winter but… PSNA is supporting this Swim with Gaza action on Saturday 26th August. Keep an eye out for details from your local Palestine group…
So get your togs out and get ready….
In Christchurch supporters are gathering on Saturday 26th August, 2pm at the Clocktower on Sumner Beach with banners and flags. Supporters will be swimming or paddling their feet in solidarity with Gaza’s children.
In the meantime have a look at this great film about the Gaza Surf Club…
Christina Aguilera – don’t cross the Palestinian picket line…
An important read…
Judea Vs Fantasy Israel: Ilan Pappe on the collapse of Israeli pillars and opportunities for Palestine here
A few recent letters the editor
Palestine Film Festival - Waiheke
The festival was a huge success with great feedback from audiences and positive support for the Palestinian struggle.
Associated with the festival is a display of some Malcolm Evans’s marvellous cartoons on the struggle. The display is still on for those able to get over to Waiheke easily…
The display of Malcolm Evans’s cartoons on Waiheke.
Handala’s return
The Palestinian Feminist Collective is proud to announce the launch of a children’s story and workbook called Handala’s return.
More information about the cartoon character Handala and his significance is on the Palestinian Feminist Collective website where you can also download the book.
Note: The Freedom flotilla boat to Gaza this year is called Handala. The latest update on the flotilla and its visit to Cardiff in Wales is here.
The Handala prepares to head to GAZA later this year.
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
Israel is rapidly expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank. This Australian man is among them here
Antony Loewenstein interview on the Māori radio station Te Upoko o Te Ika here
Challenging the British anti-boycott bill here (podcast)
No legal impediment to Australian recognition of Palestine here
Judea Vs Fantasy Israel: Ilan Pappe on the collapse of Israeli pillars and opportunities for Palestine here
Why does the Australian government fear dissent here
Awareness grows that Israel’s crisis stems from a core issue: It’s an apartheid state here
Israeli blockade and military checkpoints shatter World Cup dreams of Gazan girls here
Palestine
Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli official asks priest to hide crucifix on visit to western wall here
A heat wave and no electricity has turned most houses in Gaza into furnaces here
Thousands protest against Hamas in rare Gaza demonstration here
What it means to be a government and a resistance movement here
A Palestinian response to Tom Friedman here
Israel
Australian journalist Antony Loewenstein's latest book criticises Israel for exporting 'the Technology of Occupation' here
Real Life: ‘Shift’ among Jews as they question support of Israel amid Palestine conflict – author here
Israelis are trying to save a democracy that never existed here
Is Israel weaponising water in Palestine? here (25min video)
Israeli brutality
Israeli occupation troops kill three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank here
US
Another North American church names Israeli apartheid here
The power of the Israeli lobby here
Demand that Amazon and AWS end their Project Nimbus contract and stop enabling Israeli apartheid here
Video of Amazon and Google workers’ rally outside Amazon Web Services Summit here
American anthropologist association votes to boycott Israel here
Add your name in solidarity with workers and activists today: Demand Amazon executives cut all ties with Israeli apartheid here
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
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Tauranga Tauranga Moana 4 Palestine (Facebook)
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Invercargill PSNA Invercargill (Email)