31 Hakihea 2025

31 December 2025

Newsletter No 221

Items in this newsletter

New Items

Nationwide rallies/marches/vigils this week
Israeli Genocide Holiday Season in NZ Peaking Now
Israel continues its stranglehold on aid to Gaza
Government urgently needs to join international condemnation of Israeli suspension of aid organisations in Gaza
A couple of pics from this week
PSNA National meeting - May 1 to May 3, 2026 - in Rotorua

REGULAR ITEMS

“Shadow-banned” by Facebook and Instagram and how we’d like you to bypass it
Join the ICC Watch
Designate Israel as a terrorist state and the IDF as a terrorist group
MPs Complicit with Genocide
Keep spreading the message about the Genocide Hotline!
Important stories this week
Annual Palestinian Solidarity Dates
How to Donate
Palestine Solidarity Groups around Aotearoa

Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

We have discontinued the Rally list in the newsletter as it can be out of date as soon as the newsletter is sent. We have added a page to the PSNA website which is posted on Wednesday afternoon and then updated as any moves adds and changes are available. See first option.

To view events around Aotearoa. Options:

There is now a page on the PSNA website where you can see the coming events for the week. It is updated on Wednesday afternoons for coming events. It is also updated with any late events or if an event needs to be changed. See here. Check back on Fridays to see if there are any changes. Give it a try right now. Email Admin@PSNA.nz if there are any events missing or a change is required.
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” and Click the button. Check back on Friday for any moves, adds or changes
Or go directly to events on the PSNA Facebook events page here
There is also a QR code which will take you to the PSNA events page on the PSNA website

There are more than 30 events around the Motu this week.

Israeli Genocide Holiday Season in NZ Peaking Now

Our summer is the main time for Israelis to visit New Zealand, and PSNA is warning that many soldiers who have been serving in the IDF genocide in Gaza will be among them.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says Immigration NZ figures show 799 Israelis visited New Zealand last December, and half of them would be of an age to be eligible for compulsory military service. The Israeli visitor numbers then usually increase for January and February.

PSNA Co-chair John Minto says all these soldiers would have been complicit in some way with the ongoing genocide in Gaza during the past two years.

“So, what these troops are doing, is having a ‘Genocide Holiday’ here. They belong to a military force which has been responsible for perhaps hundreds of thousands of deaths in Gaza, the all but total destruction of its buildings and other infrastructure, and mass ethnic cleansing and starvation.”

The IDF has killed more than 400 Palestinians in Gaza since October when the ceasefire was meant to have begun.

“It’s a disgrace that our Foreign Minister says they are welcome to come here,” Minto says.

‘Our officials can’t even bother to ask these likely war criminals, whether they live or operate in Occupied East Jerusalem or West Bank. The International Court of Justice says signatories to the Geneva Conventions, such as New Zealand, must not do anything which perpetuates the Occupation.

The 2016 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which New Zealand co-sponsored, required countries “to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967”.

“Free visas for soldiers who enforce the Occupation or live as occupiers, can’t be seen as anything other than a New Zealand endorsement of the Occupation and a breach of the terms of a UN Security Council resolution which New Zealand played a major role in passing.”

Minto says he fears the risk of violence from these visitors.

“Weve seen more threats and acts of violence against Palestinian supporters from Israelis and their supporters over the past few months.

“Two former IDF people have appeared in court after their physical attacks on protesters.”

“We are maintaining our hotline this summer – 027 427 2784 – for people who are concerned for their safety when they encounter IDF types in holiday spots, and to identity them wherever in the country they are enjoying their break from genocide.”

Israel continues its stranglehold on aid to Gaza

And from the latest report from the UN Office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs

Key Highlights

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are struggling in makeshift tents damaged by rain, wind and seawater waves or damaged buildings at risk of collapse.
So far in December, humanitarian partners have provided emergency shelter assistance to over 80,000 households.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis finds that famine conditions have been alleviated but acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain at critically high levels.
UN agencies continue to emphasize the importance of predictable and unimpeded access, increased supplies and sustained funding for a transition from emergency to early recovery efforts in Gaza.
Solid waste management efforts are constrained, with waste generation exceeding collection capacity in several areas due to the lack of access to landfills, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages, and restrictions on the entry of essential equipment and spare parts, according to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster.

Government urgently needs to join international condemnation of Israeli suspension of aid organisations in Gaza

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says the government urgently needs to join international condemnation of Israel’s suspension of dozens of humanitarian organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, which provide food, water and medical services for Palestinians in Gaza.

“This is a death sentence to thousands more Palestinian in Gaza,” says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto.

“With western countries distracted by New Year celebrations, Israel has decided to dramatically tighten its stranglehold on aid to Gaza.”

“Only 20% of the aid agreed under the so-called ‘ceasefire agreement’ has been allowed in.”

“Israel’s aim is to deepen the humanitarian crisis to make it easier to expel Palestinians from Gaza. It’s latest plan is to banish them to the rebel state of Somaliland – a country which is recognised only by Israel!”

“This is all the more reason for New Zealand to speak out now before the ban is due to take affect this Thursday.”

“There is a new government pattern, which started with a negative vote in the United Nations on recognition of Palestine earlier in the year,” Minto says.

“New Zealand has now abandoned standing with other western countries, who have condemned Israel’s refusal to allow full resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which Israel agreed to under the deal of October 10th”.

In a joint statement Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have stated: “As winter draws in civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping” and demands Israel increase the flow of aid.

Minto asks “why did New Zealand not sign that letter?”

“New Zealand was also unmoved by appeals from the United Nations Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs earlier in December.”

“Israel has ignored these repeated UN appeals and New Zealand has conveniently looked the other way.”

“And while Trump has just said Israel is ‘100% compliant’ with the ceasefire terms, he, and our government too, have ignored the fact that Israeli forces have already directly killed more than 400

A couple of pics from this week

**Ōtautahi/Christchurch – stall at the Bridge of Remembrance on 27 December**

PSNA National meeting - May 1 to May 3, 2026 - in Rotorua

Our 2026 national meeting will be held in Rotorua from 5pm Friday May 1 to 2pm Sunday 3 May in Rotorua.

This will be a critically important event for people from around the country to come and evaluate what we have done over the past year and most importantly to plan for the future.

We are fighting the most important human rights issue of the 21st century and we need your help to shape, plan and organize for the future.

More details in coming newsletters.

Regular items

“Shadow-banned” by Facebook and Instagram and how we’d like you to bypass it

We’ve noticed a significant slow-down in the growth of our PSNA National Instagram account (@psnaotearoa) since the Gaza ‘ceasefire’ and also a drop-off in engagement.

Because of the ‘ceasefire’ most New Zealanders think the worst is over in Gaza and the Palestinians are heading towards some sort of ‘peace’ with Israel. While this couldn’t be further from the truth – Israel has broken the ceasefire over 500 times since it was signed - the perception that things are improving has led to an inevitable lessening in attention given to Palestine-related material on Instagram and other social media platforms.

In addition to the ceasefire-related drop-off we also have to contend with the profoundly pro-Israel bias of Meta (the company that owns Facebook & Instagram).

Human Rights Watch have called Meta’s censorship of content related to Palestine on Instagram and Facebook systemic and global.

Leaked documents showed that Instagram increased its moderation of Palestinian user comments after October 7, 2023.

Many of those in high positions at Meta previously worked for the Israeli state or the Israeli army. A report by Mint Press found that dozens of them come directly from the elite Unit 8200 – a cyber intelligence group infamous for spying on Palestinians under occupation.

Meta have a special policy unit devoted to Israel (they don’t have anything like this for any other country). The head of this unit – Jordana Cutler – is a former senior Israeli government official who used to work for Benjamin Netanyahu.

In late 2024 Meta updated its policy to allow unrestricted authority to delete accounts supporting Palestine.

As Jewish-American historian Zachary Foster points out “the data show that Meta has complied with 94% of takedown requests issued by Israel since October 7, 2023. The world’s most genocidal country controls content moderation at the world’s most important social media company”.

All this is to say that PSNA is facing an uphill battle to get the message out via our Instagram account and that’s where YOU, our supporters, can help us.

If you could deliberately check in on us every day – and do the like and comment and share thing – that will help elevate us in the algorithm so more people see us. One way of making this easier is to set a daily reminder to check PSNA Instagram. It will only take a couple of minutes out of your day but it will help us continue to build a real and lasting Palestine solidarity movement here in Aotearoa – one that won’t stop fighting until Palestine is truly free.

PS: Here are the handles for some of our regional accounts – some of them have been under lengthy shadow-bans so give a little love to them too, especially if they’re in your region.

Main

@psnaotearoa

Regional

Join the ICC Six Watch!

Share the poster on social media – keep alert – email ICC6@PSNA.nz if you find where any of these six genocide deniers are due to show up.

Designate Israel as a terrorist state and the IDF as a terrorist group

Petition link: https://petitions.parliament.nz/5e5def5b-0658-4431-5edd-08ddfd8ffce6?lang=en

Petition title: Designate Israel as a terrorist state and the IDF as a terrorist group

You can share this petition via this QR code

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 stories from last week

Editor’s picks

Epstein and Leviathan: How the Financier Opened Doors to Netanyahu and Ehud Barak Amid Israel's Offshore Gas Fight here
Sirens, flag-burning, shoe-throwing: Pro-Palestine protest rumbles through Wellington here
Tell Maersk: stop shipping weapons used to kill Palestinians here (Petition)
Christ wasn’t born in a stable so that Palestinians could be born in tents here
Christmas festivities return to Bethlehem after two years as Palestinians hope for 'better future' here
Despite warnings from Donald Trump, the push for Israeli control over the West Bank continues here
How many countries has Israel attacked in 2025? here
Protesters gathered in London this weekend for "Alternative Christmas Carols," calling for a Free PaIestine here
Belgium joins South Africa’s genocide case against Israel here
Palestinian factions have come together to thwart Israeli plans in Gaza, for now here
Netanyahu Is Visiting Trump For The FIFTH Time This Year, And Other Notes here (Caitlin Johnstone)

Merchandise for sale - please check with your local branch and/or contact us Merchandise@PSNA.nz

**Recent new material – leaflets and stickers are free the bucket hats and caps are $25**

If your local branch does not have what you are after 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 large & medium ($10 or $7) and other items plus postage.

The watermelon and the fist stickers will be back in stock early next week.

See more on the PSNA website here.

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 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
Or Scroll down to the bottom of this Newsletter for the detailed list of events for this week.
We have added a page to the PSNA website where we now post the Events list. You can find it here – www.PSNA.nz/Events

The QR code for this is:

It is updated on Wednesday afternoon and ongoing as events are notified to us. Please check back on Friday afternoon to see if there has been Additions or Changes.

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