Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is planning more protests on what it calls Winston Peters’ failed policy on Gaza.
PSNA has announced it is joining an International Day of Action for Palestine on 6th September.
PSNA Co-Chair, John Minto says there was “an incredible show of marches and rallies throughout Aotearoa New Zealand for sanctions against Israel during the past weekend.”
“But with Winston Peters obstinately running the Foreign Ministry, the government will ignore all expressions of public support for Palestinian rights.”
“So, we’ll be back with even more people on the streets on the 6th.”
“An opinion poll released by PSNA last week showed that of people who gave an opinion, 60 percent supported sanctions against Israel.”
“That number would have risen significantly in the past few weeks as people here are seeing the shocking images of Israel’s widespread use of starvation as a weapon of war especially against the children of Gaza.”
“Around the world, governments are starting to respond to their people demanding sanctions on Israel to end the genocide. Yet, Winston Peters is most reluctant to even criticise Israel, let alone take any action.”
“Sanctions are vital. Israel takes no notice otherwise,” Minto says.
“We’ve seen Israel’s arrogant impunity in increasingly violent action and showing off its military capacity and intentions.”
“Not a peep from our ministers over anything. Just on the Occupied West Bank, there are settlers freely shooting and lynching Palestinians. Israel’s parliament has just voted to annex the West Bank, as plans are also announced for a new settlement strategically designed to sever it irreparably into two parts.”
“In Gaza, Israeli troops are reinvading Gaza City to ethnically cleanse a million people to the south and Israeli aircraft are still terror bombing a famine devastated community,”
“Netanyahu has just started talking about a Greater Israel again. That would mean an invasion of all of its neighbours and the extinction of at least Lebanon and Jordan, which in Israeli government eyes have no right to exist.”
“Our pathetic government thinks it’s responding appropriately by going through a process of considering recognition of a Palestinian state,” Minto says.
“That can only be seen as a deliberate distraction from a focus on sanctions.”
“Back in 1947, New Zealand voted in the UN for a Palestinian state in part of Palestine. Recognition is token now, and it was token then, because the world stood aside and let Israel conquer all of Palestine, expel most of its people and impose an apartheid regime on those who managed to stay.”
“The global movement in support of Palestinian rights won’t be distracted. Comprehensive sanctions are the only way to force the end to Israel’s genocide.”
John Minto
Co-Chair PSNA
