25 Poutū-te-rangi 2026
25 March 2026

Newsletter No 233

Items in this newsletter

New Items

Nationwide rallies/marches/vigils this week
PSNA National Hui in Rotorua – Friday May 1 to Sunday May 3
Palestine Land Day – March 30
National Election November 2026
Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr - Senior New Zealander of the Year 2026
The Drs Wife Free Screening in Wellington
National Day of Action – no Wars
Why report harassment to Police?
Is the National led Government sending our ships to be sunk on behalf of the zionist entity?
Something you can do now with just a click…
Kufiyahs for Winter
A couple of pics from around the country
Time for Regime Change in the US and Israel?
UN call for submissions on Palestine Journalists and Media treatment of Palestine
Fundraising Raffle – Flightless in Gaza
Important stories this week

Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

To view events around Aotearoa:

We have an events page on our website as well as a Facebook events page

PSNA Website events page:

You can find it here – www.PSNA.nz/Events

The QR code for the PSNA website events page is this:

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.

Or 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

PSNA Facebook events page

Go to the PSNA Facebook events page here

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

PSNA National meeting in Rotorua

– 5pm Friday May 1 to 1pm Sunday May 3, 2026 –

PSNA are holding our National Hui in Rotorua on Friday 1st of May to Sunday 3rd of May. The venue is a marae where most people will be able to stay with any extra accommodation provided in cabins or billeting with locals. Alternatively you may like to make your own accommodation arrangements.

PSNA will be covering the cost of meals and accommodation and we’d like you to register with Anne secretary@psna.nz as soon as possible to help with planning.

We imagine most people coming from the South Island and lower North Island will need to fly and others will come by car. Either way if you need help with a travel subsidy please let Anne know.

If you are flying we advise to BOOK NOW to get reasonably priced airfares.

Please note there will be a Mihi Whakatau (welcome) late on Friday afternoon so please try to arrive by 5pm on the Friday.

This national will be a critically important event for people from around the country to come together to build the campaign to isolate genocidal, apartheid Israel and build the campaign for Palestinian liberation.

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.

Palestine Land Day – March 30

Palestinian Land Day, observed annually on March 30, commemorates the 1976 protests against Israeli land confiscation and symbolizes Palestinian resistance and connection to their land.

Historical Background

Land Day (Yawm al-Arḍ) originated on March 30, 1976, when the Israeli government announced plans to confiscate approximately 20,000 dunams (20 km²) of land in the Galilee, including 6,300 dunams of Arab-owned land, as part of a policy to Judaize the region. In response, Palestinian citizens of Israel organized general strikes and marches from the Galilee to the Negev. Israeli forces killed six unarmed Palestinians, injured over 100, and arrested hundreds during these protests. This marked the first collective Palestinian national response within Israel since 1948.

Significance

Land Day is a pivotal event in Palestinian history, representing resistance to land expropriation and the assertion of Palestinian identity. It united Palestinian communities inside Israel, in the West Bank, Gaza, and the diaspora, and established a precedent for organized political activism against Israeli policies. The day also highlights the historical importance of land to Palestinian society, as agriculture was central to the livelihoods of most Palestinians before 1948.

Contemporary Observances

Every year on March 30, Palestinians commemorate Land Day through protests, vigils, and planting olive trees to reaffirm their connection to the land. These events occur both within Israel and in the occupied territories, often met with force by Israeli authorities. Land Day has become a symbol of ongoing resistance, reflecting continued struggles over land, settlement expansion, and displacement. Recent reports indicate that Israel continues to seize Palestinian land, including the West Bank, reinforcing the day’s contemporary relevance.

Legacy

Land Day is not only a remembrance of the 1976 events but also a celebration of the Palestinian spirit of resilience and collective action. It underscores the enduring struggle for land rights, national identity, and political recognition, making it a cornerstone of the Palestinian national calendar.

National Election November 2026

Its time to start to make sure all of our friends and whanau are on the Electoral Roll and ready to vote for our future in November.

David Seymour has carried out a determined attack on our democracy and ended the right to enrol and vote on Election day.

When he should be working hard to make sure that Every Eligible Voter Can Vote on Election day, Seymour has worked hard to disenfranchise many voters who by and large would vote for Labour, the Greens, or Te Parti Māori.

This National Led government has blocked Election Day enrolment. This largely affects the Young and less well off in our society.

My recommendations are these:

Check to see that, if you have previously enrolled, you haven't been Scrubbed Off the role. It is too late to fix that on Election Day as David Seymour has stopped that remedy.
If you moved home, etc, please check to see you are still on the roll here. They will scrub You off the roll if you don't fill in the form they Post to you or haven't checked being on the roll. . .
If you are a new voter, enroll to vote here
Please check that your friends and Whanau have either checked that they are still on the roll, or that they have enrolled to vote.
Put a diary note to check your name again a month out from the election in case someone takes the opportunity to scrub you off the roll. Its Too Late on the day.

Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr - Senior New Zealander of the Year 2026

Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr are not the kind of couple to opt for a quiet retirement.

Between 2001 and 2019, the New Zealanders have saved the lives of nearly 800 children in Palestine through forty volunteer missions to Gaza and the West Bank. This year they are the recipients of the 2026 Senior New Zealanders of the Year Award.

Alan, now 90, is a former head of cardiothoracic surgery at Green Lane Hospital. In Palestine, he trained the first Palestinian paediatric cardiac surgeon, and has been recognised as the 'Father of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery'.

Hazel, now 86, brought a background in creative dance and drama. She volunteered to help in refugee camps, schools and community centres, where she devised programmes and spent time with the children, teaching them to dance and play.

Their legacy reaches far beyond medicine. They have trained local surgeons and ancillary staff, and redefined what service in retirement can look like. Hazel, now 86, and Alan, 90, continue to advocate for Palestinian children, quietly sharing their story through The Doctor’s Wife documentary, currently screening in community venues around Aotearoa.

Check out free screenings here

The Drs Wife Free Screening in Wellington

National Day of Action – no Wars

Help spread the word about this national Day of Action to shame our government and demand NZ has an independent foreign policy. The aim is for action in every centre, big and small, around the country.

Why report harassment to Police?

Earlier this year, one of the PSNA team in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland was stalked by a zionist Israel supporter.

This guy

She (I won’t name her for her own safety but will call her “Solidarity” for now) was Stalked from:

Te Komititanga square, where Solidarity and another woman were holding a vigil for Gaza
To the Bus stop where the other woman got on her bus and left
Into a supermarket where Solidarity tried to shake her stalker off by going out the back door, after asking help from the manager
He hunted her down again, found Solidarity and continued to stalk her
Solidarity went into a pub at which time her stalker gave up
This took place over quiet a few city blocks.

Solidarity had got video of this potentially dangerous stalker (see screen shot above).

With encouragement, Solidarity finally made a report to police on their online 105 system

Solidarity was contacted by Police who discussed this with her and said they take it very seriously.

Yesterday, Police contacted Solidarity and said they were dropping it as they couldn’t identify the stalker. What. . . Image look ups can find people so. . .

Good News.. This Morning, Police called Solidarity again and said they Had Identified the stalker and would be bringing him in for Questioning. And are likely to Prosecute him if he does it again.

The Moral of this story is, Please report Every instance of Stalking, Intimidation, harassment by the Pro zionist Israel supporters. They are trying to intimidate you and steal Your Free Speech Rights.

When given the details, Police will do their jobs.

The key is that the threats are notified to police and they can track for perpetrators.

Is the National led Government sending our ships to be sunk on behalf of the zionist entity?

It seems as if Two of our warships have been set off to join the US Navy as it prepares for its suicide mission to force the Iranian Straits of Hormuz open in support of the Illegal zionist Israeli attract on Iran.

Instead of backing International Law, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have joined in the Regional and Global Hegemonists zionist Israel and the US drive to dominate the Middle East.

The World should join in Condemning the Illegal zionist Israeli attack on Iran and call on them to end their Illegal War. That is how the Straits of Hormuz can be opened. With a long lasting Peace.

Aotearoa should Not send our ships to be sunk in an Illegal War.

Something you can do now with just a click…

Email Minister of Defense Collins calling on her Not to send our warships into harms way to defend the Illegal zionist Israeli War on Iran.

Kia ora Minister of Defense Collins
Judith.Collins@parliament.govt.nz

Sending our NZ Navy to fight Iran on behalf of zionist Israel

I understand that you have sent Two of our naval fleet to train with the US navy in preparation to fight Iran in the Straits of Hormuz for zionist Israel.

It was zionist Israel that Illegally attacked Iran with its Sneak attack on February 28.

The Key to ending this Illegal War on Iran is to call on Israel to stop its attacks.

To send our sailors to Die for Israel in the Straits of Hormuz is taking the side of the Aggressor over the Victim. Standing in opposition to International Law.

I urge you to order the New Zealand ships to turn around and come home. Work within International Law instead of supporting the Regional and Global Hegemonic regimes of zionist Israel and the US.

You can send this email by clicking here

Some pics from around the country

Protest at Zula Lodge at Wanaka which Welcomes Israeli Soldiers to RnR after committing Crimes against Humanity

Kufiyahs for Winter

Preserved Identity is an Aotearoa-based, Palestinian-led social enterprise that ethically sources authentic goods directly from Palestinian makers and makes them accessible to our communities.

Operating out of Tāmaki Makaurau, they offer both nationwide shipping and local pickup options. Their model ensures that impact is built into every purchase — with funds supporting Palestinian producers, contributing to humanitarian efforts in Gaza, and sustaining the enterprise so it can continue this important work.

By supporting Preserved Identity, you are helping preserve culture, livelihoods, and stories. Their range includes beautifully made Palestinian items such as kufiyas, olive oil soap, and traditional embroidered goods.

Explore their collection:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/palestinian.id
Website: www.preservedidentity.com
Kufiyas: https://preservedidentity.com/product-category/kufiyas-shawls/

Time for Regime Change in the US and Israel?

UN call for submissions on Palestine Journalists and Media treatment of Palestine

PSNA has received a request from the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese who is collecting evidence on attacks on Palestinian journalists and media narratives since 7 October 2023.

International Level Purpose:

The role of media in the context of Israel’s policies and practices toward the Palestinian people, especially after 7 October 2023.

Patterns of misinformation including instances of hate speech and dehumanising rhetoric relayed by media as well as restrictions and retaliatory measures against journalists for their coverage of Israeli or Palestinian issues.

The conflict in Gaza has unleashed a global crisis of freedom of expression. Rarely has a conflict challenged freedom of opinion and expression so broadly and so far beyond its borders.

Contributions are particularly sought on;

Media narratives and discursive practices, including:

processes of dehumanisation of Palestinians, including among others portrayals denying civilian status or depicting Palestinians as an undifferentiated enemy;
calls by journalists or media commentators for the commission of crimes, including mass displacement or the destruction of Gaza;
evidence that such narratives reflect institutional editorial lines rather than isolated journalistic misconduct;
dissemination of disinformation and narratives discrediting the work of Palestinian journalists.

Incitement and international criminal law, including:

media content that may constitute direct and public incitement to commit genocide within the meaning of Article III(c) of the Genocide Convention,
implicit, coded, or context-dependent forms of incitement, particularly in Hebrew-language media and audiovisual formats;
Censorship and retaliatory measures against journalists and media personnel for their coverage of Israeli or Palestinian issues.
Any other relevant information or documentation that may assist in analyzing the legal, institutional, and narrative role of media in advancing, enabling, or obscuring crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

The Special Rapporteur welcomes submissions from individuals, journalists, media workers, academics, civil society organizations, and other relevant actors on the role of media in the context of Israel’s actions toward the Palestinian people.

Where feasible, the research will draw on testimonies and documented accounts from journalists and other key actors, in accordance with ethical standards and best practices, including confidentiality and anonymity where required.

For individual cases or testimonies, contributors are requested to ensure that informed consent has been obtained where such material may be cited.

See here for more information .

https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2026/call-input-role-media-context-israels-policies-and-practices-toward

Individuals are welcome to make their submissions direct. The PSNA submission will focus on the New Zealand media and complaints made to it, in particulaar to TVNZ. If you have material which is relevant to this PSNA submission then please forward your correspondence chain to Secretary@PSNA.NZ

Fundraising Raffle – Flightless in Gaza

Important stories this week

Editor’s picks

Israel steps up assassinations in Gaza despite 'ceasefire' here
Israeli settlers continue violent rampage through West Bank, call for Palestinian expulsion here
Gaza: Palestinian toddler 'tortured by Israeli forces' to force 'confession' from father here
After Gaza’s Genocide: What World Order? here
UN experts urge Israel to free Gaza doctor amid reports of ‘severe torture’ here
‘Israel First’ – ex-Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy on why Netanyahu led Trump into illegal Iran War here
‘From the river to the sea’ – swimming against the Queensland tide here
12 reasons why a huge split is opening up in the West over US-Israel’s ‘manifestly illegal’ war on Iran here
NZ rally slams Five Eyes intelligence ties hours before US-Israel attack on Iran here
Fiji's human rights watchdog raises concerns over new Israeli embassy plans here
Why most Pacific governments stand with Israel here
Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr - Senior New Zealander of the Year 2026 here

Regular items

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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.

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

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