PSNA Newsletter No 195 -2 July 2025
2 Hōngongoi 2025
2 July 2025
Newsletter No 195
Items in this newsletter
1. Nationwide rallies/marches/vigils this week
2. Yousef Aljamal’s final engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand tour
3. Latest report from Francesca Albanese
4. Something you can do now to make a difference for Palestine…
5. Two things you can do now for Palestine…
6. Zim Shipping quits New Zealand – BDS reasons?
7. “We were the Nazis – they were the Jews” –
8. Howick prayer walk for Palestine
9. TVNZ is at it again…
10. Call for sanctions on Israel from the World Council of Churches
11. Meetings with National MPs
12. Rakon enables genocide
13. Environment Southland considers sanctioning Israel
14. Important resource on Israel’s genocide in Gaza
15. 30 minutes with the godfather of human rights
16. Keep spreading the message about the Genocide Hotline!
17. Important stories from last week
18. Merchandise for sale
19. SodaStream stickers available
Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week
New Plymouth Poster for 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.
Or Scroll down to the bottom of this Newsletter to get to the detailed list of events around the motu this week.
Yousef Aljamal’s last engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand
Please share widely with your networks
You can see the programme here
Latest report from Francesca Albanese
Read this damning new report and the actions governments should be taking here.
Report Summary
This report investigates the corporate machinery sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial project of displacement and replacement of the Palestinians in the occupied territory.
While political leaders and governments shirk their obligations, far too many corporate entities have profited from Israel’s economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now, genocide.
The complicity exposed by this report is just the tip of the iceberg; ending it will not happen without holding the private sector accountable, including its executives.
International law recognizes varying degrees of responsibility – each requiring scrutiny and accountability, particularly in this case, where a people’s self-determination and very existence are at stake.
This is a necessary step to end the genocide and dismantle the global system that has allowed it.
Two things you can do now for Palestine…
1. Attend your local protests for Palestine this weekend – see the events earlier in the newsletter.
2. Send the above link for Francesca Albanese’s latest report to your local MP. Ask them to read it and urge them to push for sanctions against Israel…
Zim shipping quits New Zealand – BDS reasons?
Israeli shipping company Zim Shipping which declared its primary objective was to ship arms and ammunition to the Israeli Defense Forces to attack Palestinians in Gaza has quit New Zealand for the third time – this time for good we hope. Read the story here
“We were the Nazis – they were the Jews” – confessions of an Israeli soldier
Howick prayer walk for Palestine
Howick Prayer Walk for Palestine this Sat 5 Jul at 10am.
Meeting at the Crawford Reserve on the corner of Picton Street and Ridge Road, just below Stockade Hill.
We will open with prayer, then walk down Picton Street as far as Old Saints, reflect with prayer and return to Crawford Reserve, concluding with prayer.
All welcome.
For details or bad weather cancellation, please contact Steve 021 0229 7975
TVNZ is at it again
1News, the channel which prides itself on being the best news team in the entire country, is again showing off its bias towards the Israeli narrative.
For us, any cursory reading of anything other than the mainstream news will reveal that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation ‘aid stations’ (sic) setup is a cynical IDF and US corporate PR stunt to pretend aid is getting into Gaza again.
You can also easily find that Israel is using these sites not only to lure Palestinians in sets of biometric monitors for selective arrests, but also to force Palestinians to migrate south to vacate land for Israel to more easily occupy.
But on top of that, the IDF, and probably the criminal gangs of Palestinians it has recruited, have been regularly firing on starving Palestinians going to the sites to try to get food.
1News reported frequently on this in early June. The thrust of many reports was to report the totally implausible Israeli and GHF denials that they had any responsibility for the killings at all. 1News played the same Israeli sourced drone footage twice, to suggest it was Hamas shooting Palestinians instead, in order to loot food.
This past week, 1News revisited the story, with the same IDF imbedded BBC reporter. The story was designed to continue the increasingly absurd denials of the IDF as factual.
In particular, 1News was anxious to provide IDF and GHF denials of the continuing massacres, which most news agencies have now abandoned.
But the story 1News most wanted to discredit was this;
1News couldn’t bring itself to name Haaretz. For 1News Haaretz it is just ‘local media’.
The item certainly did not mention the detailed admissions of IDF forces in the Haaretz story and how it appears to be actual IDF policy to go about a ‘squid game’ spree of shooting each time the GHF sites are open.
We have complained again…
Call for sanctions on Israel from the World Council of Churches Central Committee
Call for sanctions on Israel from the World Council of Churches Central Committee last week here
The report includes:
Naming the Reality of Apartheid: We recognize and denounce the system of apartheid imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people, in violation of international law and moral conscience.
Implementing Sanctions and Accountability: We call on states, churches, and international institutions to impose consequences for violations of international law, including targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes. Full support must be given to the International Criminal Court and UN mechanisms investigating potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Affirming Palestinian Rights and Freedom: We uphold the inalienable human rights of Palestinians to freedom, justice, return, and self-determination. We demand the end of the occupation and the lifting of the unlawful blockade on Gaza.
Support for the resilience and witness of Palestinian Christian churches and communities, upholding their right to remain on their land and to freely practice their faith.
Meetings with National MPs
Meetings with National MPs are continuing around the country to encourage them to support the Green Party’s “Unlawful Occupation of Palestine” Sanctions Bill
In the picture above Bay of Plenty MP Mr Tom Rutherford MP (National Party - in centre) met with a delegation from Tauranga Moana 4 Palestine Dr Ron Lopert, Dr Dave Offner, Dr Brian Dwyer and Mr Peter Archer to discuss the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the proposed private member’s bill ‘Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill'
Rakon enables genocide
Rakon leads the Auckland march last weekend
Environment Southland considers sanctioning Israel
A good presentation to Environment Southland here – Watch this space - more to come!
Meanwhile local activists have complained about Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark refusing to allow a pro-Palestine presentation at the council meeting and used his casting vote as chair to defeat a motion to change the council’s procurement policy to exclude companies involved in illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
The story as reported in the Otago Daily Times is here
Important resource for information about Israel's War on Gaza:
Violent and Nonviolent Death Tolls for the Gaza War: New Primary Evidence here
Abstract
High-quality war mortality estimates, such as those that were produced for Kosovo, Iraq, and Darfur play a critical role in illuminating the human cost of war. During the tumult of war they are, however, challenging to obtain due to the conflicts themselves. The Gaza Ministry of Health (GMoH) has provided regular updates to their post-October-7 violent death tally for the Gaza Strip. However, GMoH reports have attracted both criticism and support. Here, we present results from a large-scale household survey, the Gaza Mortality Survey (GMS), which provides independent estimates of war-related deaths between October 7, 2023 and January 5, 2025. Our findings suggest that violent mortality has significantly exceeded official figures. Our central estimate for the extent of GMoH undercount closely matches a separate estimate made using capture-recapture methods. We also find that nonviolent excess deaths, often overlooked in conflict assessments, also represent a substantial burden. These results underscore the feasibility of mortality surveillance methodologies in some highly challenging war-affected settings and provide a crucial empirical foundation for assessing the true human cost of the war.
Watch 30 minutes with the godfather of Human Rights Ken Roth on genocide in Gaza
You can watch the programme here
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
The Silence of the Sultans: Muslim Regimes and the Holocaust of our Time here
Israel and Iran - what next? here
The Folly of A War With Iran here
Twyford condemns weak action by NZ over Israel’s ruthless apartheid here
Jews Speak Out: Israel’s Genocide “Worse Than Nazis” here
Egypt's Crackdown on the Global March to Gaza here
The real reason Israel attacked Iran here
Important stories from last week
Editor’s picks
Gaza’s Grassroots Effort to Ensure Humanitarian Aid Reaches Starving Palestinians here
Let baby milk into Gaza here
Israeli Soldiers Killed at Least 410 People at Food Aid Sites in Gaza This Month here
Is a Glastonbury chart the real problem? here (Jonathan Cook)
Other stories
Time for immunity – Israel’s war on Iran here
The killing of 13-year-old Rimas Amuri in Jenin refugee camp here
Israel Halts Gaza Aid Deliveries as UN Appeals to ‘Stop Shooting People Trying to Get Food’ here
Israel's failure to subdue Iran shows it can no longer dictate the regional order here
Zohran Mamdani wins here
German-Israeli priest says Israel’s actions in Gaza are genocidal here
Israeli strike on cafe in Gaza kills at least 33, medics say here
After the Smoke: Israel’s Post-War Strategy Redraws the Middle East 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.
Sodastream stickering is going gangbusters…
Spitfire Square Woolworths in Ōtautahi Christchurch – plastering red tape over our “Boycott Sodastream” stickers – they are too hard to get off!
So frustrated at being unable to remove boycott SodaStream stickers Spitfire Square Woolworths in Ōtautahi have taken to covering them with red stickers – the hassle factor here is working…
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)
Nationwide Rally list to 6 July 2024
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 30 events around the Motu this week.
North Island
Rawene
No event notified for this Saturday
Kerikeri - Rally
First Saturday of the Month
Saturday July 5
9:00 – 11:00 am
Kerikeri roundabout, State highway 10
Whangarei – Going to Warkworth on Friday July 4
Call to action against Rocket Lab - Complicity with Israeli genocide
73 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth
(Rocket Lab's equipment is built in Warkworth)
Friday 4 July, 1pm - 4pm
Whangarei
Saturday July 5
No Rally this weekend. Supporting Rocket Lab picket on Friday 4th.
Warkworth – Picket of Rocket Lab
Friday 4 July
1:00 – 4:00 pm
73 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth
(Rocket Lab's equipment is built in Warkworth)
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 Rocket Lab on Friday 4
No Picket on Wednesday, Picket on Friday
Friday 4 July
1:00 – 4:00 pm
25 Levine Place, Mt Wellington
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
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Join the team – text John on 021 899 659
Auckland – Rally and March
Saturday 5 July
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga – Britomart Square
Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
(Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice - Hauraki)
first Saturday of the month
Saturday 5 July
10:00 am
Thames Market, 700 Pollen Street, Thames
Tauranga – Flag Waving
Sunday 6 July June
11:00 am
Bethlehem shopping center, SH2 Bethlehem
Hamilton – Flag Waving for Palestine
Every Saturday
1:00 pm
Flynn Park, Cnr Wairere Drive & Naylor, Hamilton
Hamilton – Dr Yousef Aljamal talk
Friday July 4
6:45 pm
Ethos Café Hamilton
Hamilton
No Rally this weekend
Raglan
Hosted by Whaingaroa Palestine Solidarity
No event notified for this weekend
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
Mahia – Picket @ Rocket Lab
Friday July 4
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Mahia Peninsular, Mahia
Napier - Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout
Hastings – Rally for Palestine
Every Sunday
1:30 – 3:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD
Palmerston North - Rally
Every Sunday
2:00 pm
The Square, Palmerston North
Ngāmotu-New Plymouth – Stand with Gaza – Rally and Flag Wave
Saturday 5 July
1:00 pm
The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth
Whanganui - Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
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 – Public Seminar with Dr Yousef Aljamal
Wednesday 25 June
5:30 pm
Victoria University, Vivian Street VSLT2, 139 Vivian Street, Te Aro.
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 – ' Vivian Street Takeover For Gaza '
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective with Teachers for Palestine)
Saturday July 5
No Rally on July 5
See https://www.instagram.com/falastin_tea_collective for further details
South Island
Nelson – Rally for Palestine
Saturday July 5
11:00 am
1903 Square, Upper Trafalgar St, Nelson
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 – Ceasefire Now in Gaza
Saturday July 5
1:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance
Dunedin
Saturday July 5
No Rally notified for this weekend
Keep an eye out for July. . .
Invercargill – Documentary The Doctor's Wife
Saturday July 5
6:00 pm
The Pod, South Alive, 262 Ness St Invercargill
Booking online at https://whitioraproductions.com/the-doctors-wife
Free entry by Koha
Invercargill
(hosted by Invercargill Stands With Palestine)
No Rally on Sunday July 6
See Documentary above
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)