PSNA Newsletter No 185 - 23 April 2025
23 Paenga-whāwhā 2025
23 April 2025
Newsletter No 185
Items in this newsletter
Nationwide rallies/marches/vigils this week
“If I die I want a loud death”
What you can do now with just a few clicks…
Webinar with Prof Neve Gordon
Appeal for no-fly zone over Gaza
The Doctor’s Wife – how to organize a local screening
May Day Concert for Palestine in Palmerston North
Keep spreading the message about the Genocide Hotline!
Important lessons in building the Palestine solidarity movement
Important stories from last week
Merchandise for sale
SodaStream stickers available
Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week
To view events around Aotearoa:
Go to the PSNA Homepage – www.PSNA.nz
Scroll down to the button “For a list of events Nationwide, please click here - Check back often for updates”
Click the button
Check back on Friday for any moves, adds or changes
Or events are on the PSNA Facebook events page here
There are more than 25 events around the Motu this week.
North Island
Hokianga
No event this weekend
Kerikeri - Rally
First Saturday of the Month
Whangarei - Films for Falasteen: 'No Other Land'
Oscar winning documentary, 2025
Tuesday 22 April
Time - 6.30pm
St Stephen's, 88 Church Rd, Onerahi
Auckland – Stand for Palestine
Monday – Friday
3:00 – 4:00 pm at the US Consulate - 23 Customs Street East
4:00 – 5:00 pm at Te Komititanga Britomart Square
Auckland – Picket – Outside McDonalds
Wednesday 23 April
12:00 mid-day
Te Komititanga Square Britomart, Auckland
Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!
Every Saturday
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ostend Market, Waiheke Island
Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau
Every Saturday
This week
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join the team – text John on 021 899 659
Auckland – Gathering for Palestine
Saturday 26 March
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga - Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau
Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
(Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice - Hauraki)
First Saturday of the month.
Tauranga – Flag Waving
Sunday 27 April
11:00 am
SH 2 Bethlehem (by Woolworths)
Hamilton – Flag Waving for Palestine
Saturday 26 April
1:00 pm
Flynn Park, Cnr Wairere Drive & Naylor, Hamilton
Raglan
No event this week
Cambridge - Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
11:00 am
Cambridge Town Hall
Rotorua – Rally for Palestine
Every Thursday
4:30 pm
National MP Todd McClay’s Office - Cnr Amohau and Ranolf St lights, Rotorua
Napier - Rally for Palestine
Saturday 26 April
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout
Hastings – Rally for Palestine
Sunday 27 April
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD
Palmerston North - Rally
Every Sunday
2:00 am
The Square, Palmerston North
New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge
Saturday 26 April (Note change of day)
1:00 pm
Paynters Ave Bridge, New Plymouth
Whanganui - Rally for Palestine
Saturday 26 April
11:00 am
Riverside Market, Whanganui
Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine
Every Wednesday
11:00 am
Memorial gate - Martinborough Square, at the end of SH53
Masterton - Gathering for Gaza
Every Sunday
9:30 am
Town Hall Lawn, Masterton
Wellington – Flags on the Bridge
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Every Friday
7:15 – 8:15 am
Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington
Wellington – Rally at Wellington Hospital
(hosted by Aotearoa Healthcare workers for Palestine)
First Friday of the month
Wellington – Rally and Hikoi
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Saturday 26 April
1:00 pm
Gather at Glover Park to hikoi to Cuba Mall
Check out https://www.instagram.com/falastin_tea_collective for further details
South Island
Nelson
No rally notified as yet
Check here later in the week
Blenheim - Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
11:00 am
Blenheim Railway Station
Picton – Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Picton Foreshore
Christchurch – Flags for Palestine
Every Friday
4:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch
Christchurch – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 26 April
1:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance
Dunedin – Dunedin Public Rally
Saturday 26 April
1pm,
Otago Museum Reserve - Marching to the Octagon at 2pm
Invercargill – Rally for Palestine
Every Sunday
1:00 pm
Wachner Place, Invercargill
If I die I want a "loud death"
Fatima Hassouna
Nothing exemplifies more the vile anti-Palestinian racism of Israel's fascist regime than the brutal assassination of Fatima Hassouna a few days before her wedding.
She was killed just twenty-four hours after it was announced that a documentary focusing on Hassouna’s life in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began would be debuted at a French independent film festival that runs parallel to Cannes.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters, alongside the leadership of the western world must bear some responsibility for her killing as Israel knows that whatever war crimes it commits against Palestinians the silence of the western world, Mr Peters included, gives it absolute impunity.
Where are you Winston Peters? (See what you can do with just a few clicks later in the newsletter)
What can you do now with just a few clicks…
1. Come along and support your local Palestine solidarity protests – see list above!
2. Contact chair@PSNA.nz if you can help organise a PSNA delegation to your local National MP asking them to support the Green Party’s “Unlawful occupation of Palestine” sanctions bill. We are organising delegations to every National Party MP and we particularly want to hear from our supporters in rural electorates. Are you one of them?
3. Copy and paste this email to the Foreign Minister Winston Peters
W.Peters@ministers.govt.nz
Kia ora Mr Peters,
Give Fatima Hassouna a “loud death” as she requested
I am asking you to take action to give Fatima Hassouna a “loud death” as she requested.
Fatima was assassinated by an Israeli airstrike just twenty-four hours after it was announced that a documentary focusing on her life in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began would be debuted at a French independent film festival that runs parallel to Cannes. Her death came just a few days before her wedding.
Her killing follows a long pattern of Israel targeting Gaza’s journalists for assassination.
More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both world wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia and the United States war in Afghanistan combined, a report published last week has found.
New Zealand must bear some responsibility for her killing because the government has never held Israel responsible for its myriad war crimes, a silence that has encouraged Israel’s leadership to continue its industrial-scale killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
I am urging you to give Fatima a “loud death” as she requested by initiating an international call for a no-fly zone over Gaza to end Israel’s impunity for war crimes.
Please respond without unnecessary delay.
(Your name)
Webinar with Professor Neve Gordon
PSNA appeals to government to initiate international call for a “no-fly” zone over Gaza
Tuesday 22 April 2025:
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has this morning written to the Foreign Minister Winston Peters requesting New Zealand initiate the call for an internationally enforced “no-fly” zone over Gaza.
PSNA Co-Chair John Minto says this would be a small but practicable step to blunt Israel’s continuing genocidal attacks on Palestinians.
“Gaza is recognised under international law, and by the New Zealand government, as part of the illegally Occupied Palestinian Territory. As such, Israel’s intrusion into Gaza airspace is illegal, and is elevated to a war crime when its aircraft attack Palestinian civilians there to further what the International Court of Justice has described as a “plausible genocide”.
John Minto says the United Nations has repeatedly said there are no safe places in Gaza for Palestinian civilians, where even so-called “safe zones” are systematically attacked as Israel terrorises the population to flee from the territory.
“Suggestions for a no-fly zone have been made in the past but there has never been a better time for a concerted international effort to enforce such a zone over Gaza”.
“In the week leading up to Anzac Day there is no better time for New Zealand to stand up and be counted.
“New Zealanders from past conflicts, including in that very region in 1917 and 1918, have died in vain if today’s politicians refuse to speak out to end the death and destruction in Gaza.”
John Minto
Maher Nazzal
National Co-Chairs
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
The Doctor’s Wife – how to organize a local screening
Among the many excellent documentaries which are being screened by the Palestine solidarity movement around New Zealand is an absolute gem of a film by local filmmaker Paula Jones and associate director Tamara Azizian.
The film is “The Doctor’s Wife” and follows the decades long work of Dr Alan Kerr, a surgeon from New Zealand, and his wife Hazel in the hospitals of Palestine.
We would encourage everyone around the country to organise local screenings of the film – even with family and friends in your living room – and raise funds for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF)
All details of organising a local film screening are on the website here: https://whitioraproductions.com/the-doctors-wife
May Day Concert for Palestine in Palmerston North
If you are anywhere near Palmerston North on 3 May - this is the place to be - it will be fantastic - all proceeds from the evening will go to PSNA for Palestine solidarity campaigning.
Just Six Government MPs Needed To Pass “Unlawful Occupation Of Palestine” Sanctions Bill
As we reported last week the Green Party bill calling for sanctions on Israel has gained support from Te Pāti Māori and Labour and needs support from just six government MPs for it to pass when introduced into parliament. The details are here.
PSNA is organising deputations from local constituents to every National MP across the country. If you live in a National Party electorate and are happy to be on a deputation to encourage them to support the Sanctions Bill then please email chair@PSNA.nz
Keep spreading the message about the Genocide Hotline!
Remember possible action for local groups
For groups affiliated to PSNA we suggest the following actions could be taken at any time in support of this campaign
Asking your local backpacker accommodation to display the poster and draw it to the attention of any Israeli soldiers here on “rest and recreation” from the genocide.
Pasting the hotline poster (use the version in this newsletter which includes a contact email) around the vicinity of backpacker venues in your local area. This is already happening in some areas.
Hand out flyers to people in the vicinity of your local backpackers
Contact us on the hotline if you come across Israeli soldiers
Important lessons in helping to build the Palestine solidarity movement
Important stories from last week
Editor’s picks
After 45 days of Israeli blockade, urgent int’l action required to prevent imminent famine in Gaza here
I want a death that the world will hear – assassinated journalist here
Israel is about to empty Gaza here
Armed Israeli settlers storm West Bank, destroy Palestinian villages here
Project Esther: Suppressing Palestinian Solidarity in the US here
The first livestreamed genocide here (Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit compiles evidence of potential Israeli war crimes in Gaza)
Other stories
Israeli settlers kidnap two Palestinian children, tie them to a tree here
Palestine condemns Israeli police assaults on Christians in occupied East Jerusalem here
‘A daily crucifixion without a pause’: Palestinians mark Easter with heavy hearts amid Gaza war here
Israel says its troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely here
Technicians in Gaza make artificial limbs out of recycled materials here
Children under fire in Gaza here
Gaza ‘mass grave’ for Palestinians and those helping them: MSF here
Gaza’s trees now bear a strange fruit here
US-Iran gaps seen as bridgeable as Israeli strike leak undermines Netanyahu here
Cisco, a Major Contributor to Israel's Military Technology, Fired a Pro-Palestine Employee here
‘Evacuate everywhere’: UN says humanitarian conditions in Gaza are now the worst they have been in last 18 months here
Israel prevents West Bank Christians from marking Good Friday in Jerusalem here
Amid the tug-of-war of ceasefire negotiations, cracks in Israeli politics start to show here
How Christian Zionism is helping to crucify the birthplace of Christ here
Merchandise for sale
We are ready to mail to you any of our t-shirts, long ($35) and short ($30) sleeved, hoodies ($45) bumper stickers ($3), Tino/Palestine pins ($3) flags ($10) and other items plus postage.
See more on the PSNA website here.
Email Merchandise@PSNA.nz with your order.
What happens when SodaStream products are consistently stickered
If you’d like some stickers for sodastream email your name and address to Merchandise@PSNA.nz and we will send them to you.
Reminder: Annual Dates for Palestine Solidarity
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.
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 - 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)