PSNA says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is derelict in its duties if it can’t identify and ban products from illegal Israeli settlements on the Occupied West Bank.

This follows announcements by the UK, France and Canada that they would ban imports of products which originated from the settlements.

MFAT is reported to have stated a ban ‘would be complex and require a full policy process’ and so New Zealand couldn’t do it, at least until after the elections.

PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says Palestinian support groups had been urging the government to identify imports from the Occupied Palestinian Territory for more than 20 years, on the basis that settlement goods were falsely labelled as ‘Product of Israel.’

“Then in July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that UN members must ‘distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967’, as means of ending the occupation.”

“That’s plenty of time for MFAT to work out how to deliver a trade ban.”

Tamimi says there is ample precedent for import bans.

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A spate of tyre slashing and other attacks by Israeli supporters is concerning PSNA.

The most recent pro-Israel vandalism is in Christchurch and Wellington alongside a violent attack on a supporter in Auckland.

In Christchurch, a prominent Palestine supporter had a car tyre slashed in his driveway.  In Wellington, another supporter of Palestinian rights had a solidarity sticker scraped off their car and a swastika scrawled on the vehicle.

Earlier in the year, a New Plymouth couple had their car tyres slashed outside their property and graffiti attacks on five separate occasions. Police could not find the perpetrator.

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PSNA points to a hint of future economic sanctions against Israel, in a statement of concern issued jointly by New Zealand, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Canada just over a week ago.

New Zealand did not put its name to another second and stronger statement of condemnation, against Israel constructing the highly strategic E1 settlement on the Occupied West Bank. 

The second statement was issued at the same time, and had been signed by 22 western countries.

All the countries who signed the second letter, except New Zealand and Germany, also signed the first one.

PSNA spokesperson, Rinad Tamimi, says ether New Zealand was deliberately identifying and aligning with Germany, which is Israel’s third largest arms supplier.

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The absence of a New Zealand government signature on a 22-member joint statement, which is condemning the E1 Israeli settlement in the Occupied West Bank, can only be interpreted as a ‘moral collapse’ in our foreign policy, according to the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

The recent joint statement was issued by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Commission.

The statement condemned the decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, as ‘unacceptable and a violation of international law’.

The E1 settlement would divide the Occupied West Bank into two regions – northern and southern.

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PSNA is urging the government to ‘even-up’ its foreign policy going into the November election.

PSNA is responding to Foreign Minister, Winston Peters’, announcement of a new round of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which is the government’s 36th sanction measure against Russia.

PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says the government’s particular justification for the new sanctions, were Russia’s forced migration of Ukrainians and the dissemination of propaganda to justify Russia’s occupation.

“Israel does the same thing and the government does nothing.  It has a list of 35 Israelis it won’t allow to enter New Zealand.  But this is a pathetic list against the more than two-thousand long list against Russia.”

“Israel’s ethnic cleansing in Gaza is vast, well documented, admitted and ongoing.  Our government won’t mention it, let alone take Russia-level action against it.”

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Proceedings have been filed today in the Wellington High Court challenging the government’s approval of BlackSky spy satellite launches from the Rocket Lab site at Māhia.

The grounds state the satellites risk supplying Israel’s military with targeting data to use in Gaza.

New Zealand-founded space company Rocket Lab is BlackSky’s primary launch provider.  It launched a BlackSky satellite from Māhia back in March, with further launches recently approved by the Minister for Space.

 The claim challenges former space minister Judith Collins’ approval of four launches, despite protest at BlackSky’s links to Israel.The claim is also made against the new space minister Chris Penk, who in April approved 26 more satellite launches which the plaintiffs hope to stop.

The pleadings are laid under the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017.

The three plaintiffs are New Zealand citizens. 

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PSNA is alarmed that former Defence Minister Ron Mark wants the same job again in a government after the election.

Ron Mark has just been announced as New Zealand’s First candidate for Wairarapa.

The last time Ron Mark was Defence Minister he invited the Israeli Prime Minister, and now cited war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, to visit New Zealand.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa spokesperson, Rinad Tamimi, says the invite was part of a nauseating display of obsequiousness from Mark towards Netanyahu when they met in Israel in 2019. Video of their meeting is here.

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PSNA has today challenged the Prime Minister to explain why his government has not revealed how New Zealand voted at the International Criminal Court on Friday when ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was ousted from his role after intense Israeli/US lobbying. 

Khan is under attack from Israel and the US because he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says Israel and the US intensified their lobbying and diplomatic bullying after an ICC Judicial Panel established to examine the evidence on claims of sexual abuse against Khan declared they were ‘unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS (the ICC evidence collecting body) do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework’.

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PSNA says the news this week of Nauru opening an embassy in Jerusalem is an alarming indication of Israel diplomatically consolidating its illegal occupation of Palestinian Territory and buying Pacific votes in the United Nations.

Israel and the government of Nauru have announced Nauru will open an embassy in Jerusalem, following an announcement in January that Samoa would locate its embassy there.

Papua New Guinea and Fiji have already established their embassies in Jerusalem, along with the US, Paraguay, Honduras, Guatemala and Kosovo.

All other countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv, to avoid inferring approval of Israeli sovereignty claims over Jerusalem.

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PSNA has written to the Prime Minister today urging the government to vote against the removal of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, and instead insist that proper judicial process be followed regarding allegations made against him.

“This is a pivotal moment for the International Criminal Court and New Zealand must stand up for our values and our support for international law” says PSNA Spokesperson Rinad Tamimi. “We are not making any judgement on the allegations against Mr Khan, but New Zealand must insist a proper judicial process be followed”

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PSNA is accusing Foreign Minister Winston Peters of staying silent on the explosive UN Independent Commission report on Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian children so it wouldn’t interfere with his first meeting with the new US ambassador – pictured above.

“It’s clear to us the two are linked” says PSNA National spokesperson Rinad Tamimi. “Winston Peters would see this as clever politics but his refusal to condemn Israel’s targeting of Palestinian children has betrayed New Zealand values in favour of obeyance to Israel and the US.”

In the report released by the United Nations Independent Commission late last month, in the leadup to Peters’ first meeting with the ambassador, Israel is accused of deliberately killing Palestinian children in Occupied Gaza and the Occupied West Bank using sniper rifles and quadcopter drones.

“We are living in a time of great shame for this country. Our people are on the right side but our Foreign Minister is on side with the genocide”

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PSNA is accusing ACT Party leader David Seymour of crying “crocodile tears” for children who may have been present at a Palestine solidarity protest at a toy store in Wellington this afternoon.

Seymour was launching a policy on toy safety. Video of the protest is here.

Seymour’s Senior Private Secretary Rachel Beauchamp wrote to PSNA immediately after the protest to complain that if children had been at the toy store it could have been “frightening and distressing” for them.

“We disagree” says PSNA National Spokesperson Rinad Tamimi. “The problem here is not hypothetical children who could have been upset.”

“The real problem is Palestinian children Israel is targeted and killing in Occupied Gaza and the West Bank, with not a murmur of protest from Mr Seymour.”

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PSNA is challenging the government to obtain medical records held in Türkiye to prove the truth of Global Sumud Flotilla activist Hāhona Ormsby’s claim that he was beaten and injured by Israeli guards in Israel in late April.

In a confrontation at today’s hearing of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Select Committee, Peters claimed Ormsby’s charges against Israel were ‘bulldust’.

“But when other countries, such as Italy, Malaysia, France and Australia, are actively investigating Israeli torture against their citizens, then the New Zealand government position, that Peters’ claims against Israel are lies, is untenable.”

“There are plenty of witnesses who will testify that Israeli Prisons’ Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir personally spat on Ormsby when he was held in Israeli detention.”

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The non-confidential payout received this week follows negotiations after last year’s IPCA (Independent Police Conduct Authority) report finding that police use of pepper spray against Mr Minto at a protest on 6 February 2024 was “excessive use of force and therefore unjustified”. 

The Authority also found that Minto’s “arrest for obstruction was unlawful” and “that the force used against you and your arrest were both unlawful”.

“I’m pleased this issue is now resolved but disturbed that even after the IPCA report the police have not accepted responsibility for what in this instance was thuggish behaviour” says Minto.

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PSNA has requested the agency investigate a second police decision not to prosecute a pro-Israeli supporter for slashing two tyres on a Palestine supporter’s car in Raglan in mid-April. 

The Police Commissioner Richard Chambers last week agreed to have police look at an initial decision, according to PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi.

“But yesterday’s response, was that the police were sticking to their original decision not to prosecute the Auckland businessman, despite the man admitting he did slash the tyres.”

“All that was going to happen, was that he would appear before a local diversion committee.  This for an act that could have easily led to the driver having an accident with tragic consequences.”

“We are shocked at this.  If the situation were reversed, and a pro-Israel supporter had their tyres slashed, the police, the news media and politicians would all be in a frenzy claiming it as a violent, antisemitic attack which endangered Jewish lives.”

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PSNA is demanding police charge a pro-Israel tyre slasher, after he slashed two tyres on a Palestine supporter’s car in Raglan during a pro-Palestine protest in mid April.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says Police told the victim they will not charge the Auckland businessman

“We are flabbergasted at the double standard. Five of our supporters in Christchurch were charged with wilful damage last year after placing small stickers onto the window of a central city business”.

“Since when is slashing tyres given a free pass but putting stickers on a window demands prosecution?” says Minto.

“The police denied any bias in their policing, but this tyre-slasher case underlines the shocking prejudice at some police levels.”

“If the situation were reversed and a pro-Israel supporter had their tyres slashed the police, media and politicians would be in a frenzy claiming it as a violent, anti-semitic attack which endangered Jewish lives”

“We have written to the Police Commissioner Richard Chambers to demand prosecution of the tyre slasher.”

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PSNA is to picket the Fijian High Commission in Wellington and Consulate in Auckland tomorrow at 12.30pm (June 2) to protest at Israel opening its first Pacific Islands’ Embassy in Suva.

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa says it is acting in solidarity with a call from the Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network in Fiji.

Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar is scheduled to cut the ribbon to open the embassy at 5pm.

PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says while the rest of the world is distancing itself from Israel for its genocide in Gaza, illegal settlements on the West Bank and invasion of Lebanon, Fiji is deepening its ties with the Netanyahu regime.

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

“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.”

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Nobody wants to share building with Genocide Embassy of Israel

PSNA says the shift of the Israeli embassy into the Fisher Funds building in Wellington has concerned other tenants in the office high rise.

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is citing the Wellington Post front-page article which reported only some occupants of the 13-storey site had been told that Israel was moving in.

PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says the building’s owner was obviously trying to keep the arrival of the embassy a secret until it was too late to object.

“It’s pretty obvious why.  The Fisher Funds building is owned by Prime Property Group, which is controlled by rich-lister and former Israeli Defence Force major, Eyal Aharoni.”

“He’s looking after his own.”

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PSNA has demanded the government follow through its demands that Israel complies with international law, after New Zealanders were captured in international waters in the Mediterranean and beaten by the Israeli military.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says the New Zealand government was very explicit in its recent warnings to Israel that New Zealand did not expect a repeat of Israeli forces brutally capturing New Zealanders in international waters while they were trying to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

“Anyone who has seen the pictures of Invercargill resident Julien Blondel’s face or the reports of Jay O’Connor suffering from concussion and a likely broken rib will know that once more Israel has called the New Zealand government’s bluff.”

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