27 Haratua 2026
27 May 2026

Newsletter No 242

Items in this newsletter

New Items

Nationwide rallies/marches/flagwavings this week
The “Free Palestine” Party is closing in on the goal of 500 members…
Your KiwiSaver may be funding violations of Palestinian rights
Would you want to share a building with the Israeli Embassy?
PSNA’s Nakba petition – sever all ties to Israel
Five clicks to support key Palestine initiatives
Strong community support for Bryan Clearwater in Riverton, Southland
A letter in the Herald
Israel Institute plumbs new depths of moral decay
Peters’ First Step to Sanctions on Israel
Haka, waiata welcome for NZ’s Gaza flotilla activists after brutal ordeal at hands of Israeli military here
Global Sumud Flotilla – keep up with the latest events here
Important stories this week

Regular items

Join the ICC Six watch
MPs Complicit with Genocide
Keep spreading the message about the Genocide Hotline!

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.

The “Free Palestine” Party is closing in on the goal of 500 members it needs to register as a political party – Join up now!

From the organisers:

Our purpose in creating a party is not to seek power, but to raise awareness.

If we can reach 500 members quickly we will qualify for government funding to be used in campaign advertising. Every cent will go towards supporting the cause of Palestinian liberation.

“Palestine Free from the River to the Sea” was named to challenge political censorship and creeping fascism. Every ballot paper in the country will feature our name.

You can join our party for any amount of $2 or more at https://palfree.nz/.

You can join even if you belong to another party. We don’t ask for your loyalty to us. We don’t even ask that you vote for us. We ask that your loyalty go to Palestinians. We ask that you vote in accordance with your own conscience.

Our existence as a party will give us access to debates and events where we can give voice to the cause. We need good people for this. If you think you can be a voice for Palestine, please let us know.

This is a small country and we can make a big difference here. We are the weak link in the 5 eyes and it is time to break that chain!

[Read the press release for our launch here: https://community.scoop.co.nz/2026/05/palestine-free-new-party-to-contest-nz-general-election/]"

Your KiwiSaver may be funding violations of Palestinian rights

Important message from Barry Coates – founder and CEO of Mindful Money
(Website: mindfulmoney.nz. Join our mailing list here)

The judgement won by PSNA forcing the NZ Super Fund to review its investments in four companies that violate the rights of Palestinian people was important. It also sends a warning across the bow of KiwiSaver and other investment funds funds. You may not realise it, but your KiwiSaver might be invested in those four companies.

Mindful Money is a charity that tracks investment in KiwiSaver, including companies on the United Nations Human Rights Council database of companies involved in the building and maintenance of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Our analysis shows there is even more invested in the four companies by KiwiSaver funds than by the NZ Super Fund.

So what can you do? Check your fund – it is free, quick and easy to do so. Go to www.mindfulmoney.nz, type in the name of your KiwiSaver fund into the Fund Checker, click the button ‘Show Companies’ and look for the companies with an OPT symbol. If you see any of those companies in your fund, write to your fund manager (the address is on your KiwiSaver statement) and tell them you don’t want your savings going to those companies.

If you want to shift to a fund that doesn’t invest in those companies, use the Fund Finder to find a Mindful Ethical Fund. You can also use the same website for non-KiwiSaver managed funds.

It’s your money. Don’t let it be used to fund companies that violate human rights.

Would you want to share a building with the Israeli Embassy? – a message from Rick Sahar

**Fisher Funds building, Balance Street, Wellington**

Dear Madam/Sir

You are probably already aware that the Embassy of Israel is planning to become a tenant in the same building you are currently located. I am writing to you out of courtesy, of what it will be like to have this embassy in your building...

The building owner, Prime Property, has probably not let you know that many Pro-Palestinian activists had taken part in over 100 rallies, in the past year, outside the previous location of the Israeli embassy on Brandon Street. This included noise rallies, loud music, loud speeches, chalking messages on the pavement, handing out over 10,000 leaflets, all to draw attention to the Genocide Israel is perpetrating on the people of Palestine. Even though the Embassy/building management contacted NZ Police (several times!), we were never moved from the site as it is our democratic right to be there - the Police in fact secured our presence there.

We will not let up on our almost daily/weekly action just because they are planning to relocate. In fact, we plan to increase our actions, moving forward... We have no gripe against any of the other tenants and we try to cooperate with you all, but you should consider the inconvenience you will experience having the Israeli embassy located in your building.

There had been also many complaints lodged by the tenants, to the owners of the Baileys Building on Brandon Street, regarding the arrogant behaviour of the Israeli embassy staff, as experienced by these tenants. The Israeli Apartheid State will bring this uncooperative, even offensive, behaviour to your building, if you allow it...

I strongly suggest that you preempt this from happening and try to stop the relocation of the Israeli embassy to your site by lodging your opposition to your building's management, Prime Properties.

I write this on behalf of dozens of Pro-Palestinian activists who are ready to move onto Ballance/Featherston Sts to continue advocating against Israel's Genocide and show their support for a FREE PALESTINE.

Prime Properties Contact: https://www.primeproperty.co.nz/contact

Andrew Monahan is the Wellington Large Office Leasing and these are his contact details:
021 772 350
andrew@primeproperty.co.nz

Matt Spence is the Wellington Serviced Office Leasing and these are his contact details:
021 822 691
matt@primeproperty.co.nz

PSNA’s Nakba petition – sever all relations with genocidal, apartheid Israel

The Instagram post can be shared from here

Five things you can do. Three with a single click each… Two with a Copy and Paste...

(Note the first two are the same as last week – please action them if you didn’t last week. Numbers three and four are updates from last week)

1) Sign the PSNA Nakba petition here

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2) Sign up to join the “Free Palestine Party” here

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3) Check your Kiwisaver Fund.

Go to www.mindfulmoney.nz, type in the name of your KiwiSaver fund into the Fund Checker, click the button ‘Show Companies’ and look for the companies with an OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) symbol. If you see any of those companies in your fund, write to your fund manager (the address is on your KiwiSaver statement) and tell them you don’t want your savings going to those companies.

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4) Send this email to the companies tenanting the Fisher Funds building where the Israeli Embassy is heading. (note. This is not possible as a "One Click" email in the system we use because it is being sent to multiple email addresses)

Open an email
Copy and paste these email addresses into the "To" field in your email.

info@dunbarsloane.co.nz; opticians@opticians.co.nz; simon@hea.co.nz; info@hortnz.co.nz; hellowlg@welovesalt.com; wgtn@mjw.co.nz; information.wellington-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr; servicedesk@codeblue.co.nz; ffnz.customerservices@fujifilm.com; wool@masureldirect.co.nz

Copy and paste this Subject into the Subject line:

"Staffing in a building hosting representatives of the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel"

Copy the following text into the body of the email and edit to your satisfaction

Kia ora,

We can understand your staff will not want to be in a building hosting representatives of the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel.

The building is owned by Prime Properties whose rich-lister owner, Eyal Aharoni, is a former major in the Israeli Defence Forces. His first priority is to look after Israel rather than the tenants of the building.

I urge you to tell Prime Properties to end any tenancy arrangement with a state whose political and military leaders are wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(your name)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

5) Send this email to the Vice Chancelor of Auckland University (note. This is not possible as a "One Click" email in the system we use because it has an image in it)

Open an email
Copy and paste this email address into the "To" field in your email.

vice-chancellor@auckland.ac.nz

Copy and paste this Subject into the Subject line:

"Unacceptable behaviour of a member of the Auckland University academic staff"

Copy and paste the following text into the body of the email and edit to your satisfaction

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Professor Frank Bloomfield
Interim Vice-Chancellor
vice-chancellor@auckland.ac.nz

Unacceptable behaviour of a member of the Auckland University academic staff

Kia ora Professor Bloomfield,

Last week David Cumin’s Israel Institute shared the most vile and depraved post centred on anti-Palestinian racism.

“David Cumin was mocking Palestinians and the well documented campaigns of sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including a report published in the New York Times”

Here is a screen grab from the post.

You can see the video shared by David Cumin here

Is this standard of behaviour acceptable to Auckland University from its academic staff?

I know that if the ethnicities in the post were reversed and this were posted by another staff member the person would be sacked for a despicable act of anti-semitism.

Does the University have the same standard for the most egregious anti-Palestinian racism?

I’m asking you to investigate this post and hold David Cumin to account.

I look forward to hearing from you.

(your name)

Strong community support for Bryan Clearwater in Riverton, Southland

The local RSA complained to Bryan saying his protest in support of Palestinians disrespected the memory of soldiers who are remembered at the memorial in Riverton in the deep south of Southland. They told him to keep five metres away from the memorial. Bryan pointed out on Facebook that New Zealand soldiers had fought and died alongside Palestinians in the battle to liberate Palestine from the Turkish empire during WWI. Palestinians were subsequently betrayed by Britain which refused to allow them independence because Britain wanted a client state in Palestine to look after British imperial interests and control the oil reserves of the region.

Instead of complaining about him showing respect for the memory of our soldiers Bryan said the RSA should be complaining to Israel over its deliberate bulldozing of New Zealand war graves in Gaza early last year.

The community response was overwhelmingly in support of Bryan with over 2,000 comments on his post – mostly supporting his stance. (The local admin for the Riverton

Local Invercargill supporters are travelling to Riverton this Sunday as he continues his protest from 12 noon.

Letter in the Herald

Israel Institute plumbs new depths of moral decay

In terms of ethics and morality the Israel Institute starts at the bottom and works its way down.

Just when you thought it couldn’t go any lower from the lies, fabrications, anti-Palestinian racism and false smear of anti-semitism from Israel’s most loyal propagandist in New Zealand, the Israel Institute reached a new nadir last week by sharing a post which ridiculed Palestinians and Israel’s well documented campaign of sexual abuse – including using dogs to rape Palestinians – in Israel prisons.

The Palestinian prisoners “enjoyed every second of it” according to the II. Imagine the II’s foam-flecked outrage if the ethnicities had been reversed.

You can see the vile video here

Peters’ First Step to Sanctions on Israel

PSNA media release 21 May

PSNA has congratulated Winston Peters for calling-in the Israeli ambassador, as the first step in New Zealand imposing meaningful sanctions on Israel.

The Foreign Minister has just posted;

“It’s about time he made this first step to show Israel it can’t continue to flout international law,” says PSNA National Spokesperson Rinad Tamimi.

“These breaches include violent assaults on heroic New Zealanders trying to get desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

“These heroic New Zealanders represent the very best of New Zealand values of care and compassion”

“Two of our kiwis, Mousa Taher and Julien Blondel, had already suffered brutality at the hands of the Israeli military, on an earlier flotilla boat last month. Mr Peters refused then to speak out then against the bashings Israel meted out on these brave New Zealanders.”

“This is the first time in more than 2 ½ years of genocidal attacks on Palestinians that Mr Peters has called in the Israeli ambassador”.

“Up ‘till now he’s done nothing. And it’s not though he’s not spoiled for recent choice.”

Israel’s daily breaches of the so-called ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon
Israel’s invasion and ethnic cleansing of vast areas of Lebanon – Israel now occupies more of Lebanon than Russia occupies of Ukraine
Israel’s mass killing and starvation of civilians in Gaza and creeping re-occupation.
A sharp increase in the pogroms by illegal Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities and theft of Palestinian land in the Occupied West Bank.

“We suspect Mr Peters has only called-in the Israeli ambassador on this occasion because that’s what the US and European countries have done,” says Tamimi.

“Our government’s foreign policy is determined by US/Israeli priorities.”

“Mr Peters is carefully pointing out in his posting that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has also criticised his cabinet colleague Itamar Ben Gvir for ‘his conduct relative to the flotilla”.

“Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is not the good-guy Mr Peters is trying to make him out to be.

“But having made that first step, we want to see more of Peters speaking out, show more courage, more independence and more real action,” says Tamimi. “We want to be proud of New Zealand, not ashamed.”

Haka, waiata welcome for NZ’s Gaza flotilla activists after brutal ordeal at hands of Israeli military

Read the full story here

Palestinians are being criminally deprived of food, water, and medicine. Those attempting to come to their aid should be assisted, not attacked. Sign the petition here

Global Sumud Flotilla – keep up with the latest events here

See the Global Sumud Flotilla website + boat tracker

Follow the Aotearoa Delegation of the Flotilla on Instagram

Wellington journalist Eugene Doyle writes After Israel’s brutal attack on Kiwis our government does nothing.

Spain has demanded the release of two of its citizens who were on the Flotilla and who are still being held by Israel

The Israeli military establishment is already devising ways to deal with future Flotilla activists to limit damage to Israel's image.

More here

Important stories this week

Editor’s picks

Peters condemns Israeli minister over flotilla video as 3 Kiwis detained here
Sanction Ben Gvir. Suspend trade deals. Stop arming Israel. Now. here
Sign the petition to Close the Israel Embassy! here
Defend the West Bank now here
Solve ‘genocide embassy’ issue – expel Israeli ambassador, says PSNA 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