Discussion & Planning Event for Palestine

Wellington Palestine Group presents: Palestine in the New Arab World The 'New Arab Spring' has emerged - Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and beyond - grassroots popular movements overthrowing oppressive state regimes. Yet we are not hearing much from Palestine, despite Palestinians being under perhaps the most oppressive and heavy handed regime - the state of Israel. What's going on in Palestine now? What are the likely ramifications of recent uprisings for Palestinians? What can we do? Come along to this Wellington Palestine Group organised event to hear and discuss more and most importantly figure out how we can all use the skills we have to contribute to raising awareness for Palestine. Discussion and planning event for Palestine Saturday 16th April Top floor, 13 Garrett St (off Cuba St) 2pm to 4pm - light afternoon tea will be provided Contact for the event: Tali Williams tali.williams@gmail.com or 0212044087

ANNA BALTZER VISITS WELLINGTON

Wellington Palestine Group, Vic Students for Palestine &
Aotearoa Jews for Justice present:

Award-winning lecturer ANNA BALTZER
In Wellington for her only presentation:

Is Peace in the Middle East Possible?

CHAIR: Dr. Ramon Das

Senior Lecturer, Victoria University School of History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations

Thursday 4 November – 6.15pm
Old Government Buildings, 15 Lambton Quay, GBLT1.

Anna Baltzer, Jewish American award-winning speaker, author, former Fulbright scholar, and granddaughter of Holocaust refugees is coming to town with her acclaimed presentation about the conflict, and what you can do to bring peace and justice to Israel/Palestine.

Raised with traditional views, Baltzer’s perspective changed when she moved to the West Bank to work with nonviolent Palestinians and Israelis. Her courageous voice for coexistence and insistence on honest reporting has led to lectures at universities, churches, synagogues, mosques, and policy institutes around the world.

“Baltzer sheds light on the important political, historical, and emotional complexities of the challenges facing Israel and Palestine.” - Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin

“Even those who are familiar with the grim reality of the occupied territories will quickly be drawn into a world they had barely imagined by these vivid, searingly honest, intensely acute portrayals.” - Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus & Middle East Specialist

Baltzer will also be selling and signing copies of her book: Witness in Palestine: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories.For more information visit http://www.annainthemiddleeast.com/

KIA ORA GAZA - KIWI AID TO GAZA

KIA ORA GAZA

Kiwi Aid to Gaza

U P D A T E - 17 July 2010

OUR MISSION

The mission of Kia Ora Gaza is clear: to send Kiwi aid and volunteers to join the international humanitarian convoys leaving for Gaza on 18th September.

Three land convoys will leave from London, North Africa and Doha. The truck columns will rendezvous at Egypt's Rafah crossing into Gaza on the same day as a large sea flotilla heads for Gaza's shoreline.

These convoys of peace will be staffed by many hundreds of volunteers from around the world. Among these heros of social justice will be our very own Kiwi team.

OUR TARGET

To fund our Kiwi team, Kia Ora Gaza's target is to raise $100,000. We have only ten weeks to do so. Our success depends on the generosity of spirit of humanitarians like yourself.

To support our Kiwi team, go to our website kiaoragaza.net for details about our bank account, PayPal facility and Automatic Payments.

Kia Ora Gaza is a not-for-profit coalition whose entire funds go to the sole benefit of the people of Gaza. All our accounts are subject to audit by a professional auditor (donating his services free) who is independent of our Board of Trustees.

FALLEN HEROS

On 31st March, nine civilian aid workers on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza were shot to death by Israeli commandos. Our fallen heros made the ultimate sacrifice.

Your financial sacrifices over the next ten weeks will support our Kiwi contribution to the international convoys aiming to breach the prison walls of Gaza and deliver aid to its suffering people.

Your financial sacrifices will honour the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen heros.

CASH & PLEDGES

After being in public existence for less than a fortnight, Kia Ora Gaza has received cash and pledges of more than $20,000.

That is a mighty first step. Yet we need a large flow of donations every week for the next ten weeks to reach our target of $100,000. We can only make it with the financial support of people like yourself.

To donate, go to kiaoragaza.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

We invite you to become an Official Sponsor of our Kiwi team to Gaza:

A Golden Fern Sponsor is an individual or family or network or organisation contributing $1,000 or more to Kia Ora Gaza.

A Silver Fern Sponsor is a contributor of at least $500 but less than $1,000.

Talk with your family and your networks about becoming an Official Sponsor.

KIWI VOLUNTEERS

To date, sixteen courageous Kiwis have put up their hands and said: "Yes, I'm ready to become a volunteer with Kia Ora Gaza." They know they could be putting themselves in harm's way to help people on the other side of the world.

If you want to apply to become a Kiwi volunteer, email Kia Ora Gaza co-organiser Grant Morgan: grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz.

The number of volunteers we send will, of course, depend on how much money is donated by humanitarian Kiwis.

MEDIA COVERAGE

The world's media will be all over the international convoys when they leave for Gaza on 18th September.

Even at this early date, media in New Zealand are showing interest in the story of Kiwi volunteers going to Gaza.

Among the media already reporting on Kia Ora Gaza, or lining up to do so, are Radio Live, The Dominion (Wellington), Southland Times, Stuff, Central Leader (Auckland), Capital Times (Wellington), The Aucklander and a broad array of websites.

HOW TO HELP

Go viral: forward this Update to all your friends, and ask them to do likewise.

If you are with the media or have a blog, get the story out.

If you want to apply for our Kiwi team, email grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz.

DONATE GENEROUSLY OVER THE NEXT TEN WEEKS. Go to kiaoragaza.net.

Talk with your family and networks about becoming an Official Sponsor.

Yours in solidarity,


Grant Morgan
Co-organiser of Kia Ora Gaza
021 2544 515
grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz
kiaoragaza.net

PROTEST MARCH: SATURDAY 5 JUNE 12 NOON

PROTEST VIGIL: Israel Murders 16 Aid Workers taking Humanitarian Supplies to the beseiged people of Gaza

EXPEL THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR
PROTEST VIGIL
Wednesday 2 June 12pm
Israeli Embassy
Greenock House (39 The Terrace)
Organised by Wellington Palestine Group
P.O.Box 642, Wellington - wpgnz@clear.net

Press Release – 1 June 2010

New Zealand Must Condemn Israel’s Brutal Crimes

The Wellington Palestine Group has called on the New Zealand government to summon the Israeli ambassador for a reprimand over the Israeli commando raid on the humanitarian flotilla sailing for Gaza.

Spokesperson, Omar Hamed, says it's convenient that Israel has just appointed a new ambassador to Wellington.

"We protested at the time Mr Tzur arrived here, but now he's here, he needs dragging along The Terrace to get a dressing down at parliament for an act of international piracy", Mr Hamed says.

"The flotilla was still on the high seas on a mercy mission to bring vital supplies to the civilian population of besieged Gaza. The Gaza Palestinians are mostly refugees from Israeli occupation and have endured years of suffering under a brutal Israeli blockade. Now, when a shipload of good Samaritans try to help, the Israelis send their commandos out to murder the good Samaritans."

Mr Hamed says the Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, may historically be a friend of Israel. But Mr Hamed says Israel's illegal and brutal attacks on defenseless humanitarians have outraged even Israel's friends.

Mr Hamed says calling in an ambassador for a reprimand is a well established diplomatic action, and cited the New Zealand government calling in the French ambassador every time the French conducted a nuclear bomb test in the Pacific, as an example.

Mr Hamed says Murray McCully should join the rest of the international community and demand that the Israeli ambassador convey a message that Israel must lift its siege on Gaza and cease illegal settlement building elsewhere in occupied Palestinian territory.

For further information contact:
Omar Hamed - 029 455 5789
Serena Moran - 021 115 6685

ANTONY LOEWENSTEIN - 22 MAY - 6pm

Protest the Israeli Ambassador - 7 May 10:30am

On Friday 7 May the newly appointed Israeli Ambassador will be presenting his credentials to the Governor-General of New Zealand
Protest outside Government House, 75 Woburn Rd, Lower Hutt. @ 10:30am - Friday 7 May
Organised by NIEW Coalition (No Israeli Embassy in Wellington)

EXHIBITION & EVENTS - 'Occupation & Resistance: Photos from Palestine'

Exhibition Opening: Tuesday February 2, 6pm
Then open Wednesday - Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-3pm
Thistle Hall, corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets, Wellington

Showcasing both the daily experience of Palestinians living under occupation and the joint Palestinian-Israeli non-violent resistance to the Israeli state and military, ‘Occupation & Resistance- Photos from Palestine’ features courageous images from the front line of the struggle for justice in Palestine.

These moving images are the work of the widely published group ‘ActiveStills’, a collective of photographers based in Israel, who believe in the power of photography as a tool for social justice.

Opening night will feature music by Don Franks and Albert Williams and include the New Zealand launch of the book ‘Gaza: Beneath the Bombs’ by Sharyn Lock of the Free Gaza Movement and Sarah Irving. Sharyn who was in Gaza during the attack by Israel last year writes about her unique account of the reality of life, including her harrowing eyewitness accounts while volunteering with Palestinian ambulance medics.

Sharyn’s blog can be found at http://talestotell.wordpress.com/
More info about the book: http://www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745330242&

Film screening: Slingshot Hip Hop
Thursday February 4, Thistle Hall, 6pm
koha entry

Slingshot Hip Hop braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them.

More info: http://www.slingshothiphop.com/

Teach in: From Palestine to Wellington
Saturday February 6, Thistle Hall, 2-6pm
Light refreshments provided, koha entry

Featuring:
Don Carson — on the history of Palestine from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire up to the current peace plans. Don is a journalist who first became interested in Palestinian issues in the 70s.

Nicholas Boyack — on the Massacre of the Palestinian village of Surafend by soldiers of the ANZAC Mounted Division in 1918. Nicholas is a journalist and former historian, his interest in Bob Dylan and the Weather Underground led him to research the Surafend Massacre.

Hamid Abu Shanab — On the impact of the occupation on his family in the Hebron area of the West Bank. Hamid is a Palestinian living in Wellington.

Kerem Blumberg — On peace and Palestine solidarity activism inside Israel, including Anarchists Against the Wall and opposition to the 2006 invasion of Lebanon. Kerem is an Israeli peace activist who became involved in the conscientious objectors’ movement in high school.

Te Kupu — On the links between Palestinian and Maori experiences of colonization, oppression and racial discrimination and his 2008 visit to the West Bank. Te Kupu is a tino rangariratanga activist, filmmaker and MC.

For more info: ‎http://wellingtonpalestinegroup.blogspot.com/‎
Or contact: pal.exhibition@gmail.com

‎

NZ Launch 'Gaza: Beneath the Bombs'

Exhibition opening night will feature the New Zealand launch of ‘Gaza: Beneath the Bombs’
February 2 at 6pm, Thistle Hall, corner of Cuba and Arthur St.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza was described by Amnesty international as '22 days of death and destruction'. Sharyn Lock's eyewitness account brings home the horror of life in Gaza beneath the bombs.
Sharyn went to the Gaza strip with the Free Gaza Movement, thinking the greatest danger she faced was making it past the Israeli sea blockade in a fishing boat, but soon after her arrival Israel attacked Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants by land, air and sea. With others from the International Solidarity Movement, Sharyn volunteered with Palestinian ambulances, assisting them as they faced overwhelming civilian casualties. Her candid and dramatic blogs from Gaza gave the world an insight into the conflict that the mainstream media - unable to enter Gaza - couldn't provide.
Gaza: Beneath the Bombs provides a view of Gaza difficult to glimpse from outside - of a people who face their oppression not only with courage but with humour.

About The Author
Professor on International Law Princeton Universityfull c.v. at The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future research Sarah Irving is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in New Internationalist, Big Issue North and Electronic Intifada. She has been reviews editor at Red Pepper and Peace News, and features editor at Ethical Consumer. She has been an active campaigner on Palestinian issues since 2001.
Sharyn Lock has been volunteering in Palestine since 2002. She has accompanied Palestinians in their nonviolent resistance to the West Bank Wall and volunteered at a Palestinian medical clinic in Lebanon during the 2007 attacks on Nahr El Bard refugee camp. She was also involved in planning to take boats through the sea blockade to Gaza with the Free Gaza movement. She has written for New Internationalist, Red Pepper and the Big Issue North

More info: http://www.plutobooks.com/display.asp?K=9780745330242&
Sharyn’s blog can be found at http://talestotell.wordpress.com/

Media Release: "Occupation & Resistance - Photos from Palestine"

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date: 17/1/2010
Occupation and Resistance: from Palestine to Wellington

“Occupation and Resistance- Photos from Palestine”
2-7 February 2010
Thistle Hall, Wellington

A devastatingly courageous photo exhibition is opening at Thistle Hall in Wellington on February 2nd. Showcasing the daily experience of Palestinians living under occupation, the exhibition features bold images from the front line of the struggle for justice in Palestine.

This exhibition is a rare opportunity for New Zealanders to see a different side of the conflict. “We want to show the different ways in which Israel destroys people’s livelihoods, homes, land and hope” says Israeli peace activist and exhibition organiser Kerem Blumberg. “But we also want to emphasise that Palestinians and Israelis continue to work together towards real peace and justice, through non-violent resistance to the Israeli state and military. Now that I am living in New Zealand, it feels like something that I can share.” continues Kerem “I have found other people here who have been witness to the occupation who wanted to make the exhibition happen”.

These moving images are the work of the widely published group ‘ActiveStills’ a collective of photographers, based in Israel, who believe in the power of photography as a tool for social justice. Formed in 2005, they have since held and participated in exhibitions in Munich, Olympia, Bil’in (West Bank), Tel Aviv, Toronto, Montreal, Malmo, Lund and Amsterdam.

Events will be held during the week of the exhibition to raise awareness and mobilise solidarity with Palestinians.

ENDS

For more details about the exhibition or comment (also for high resolution photos), please contact Kerem Blumberg on: pal.exhibition@gmail.com

For more information about ‘ActiveStills’:
ActiveStills website: www.activestills.org

Regular photo updates of events in Israel/Palestine: www.flickr.com/photos/activestills

An article about ActiveStills in the Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804557937&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

"Occupation & Resistance - Photos from Palestine"

You are warmly invited to:

“Occupation & Resistance- Photos from Palestine”

Showcasing both the daily experience of Palestinians living under occupation and the joint Palestinian-Israeli non-violent resistance to the Israeli state and military, ‘Occupation & Resistance- Photos from Palestine’ features courageous images from the front line of the struggle for justice in Palestine.

These moving images are the work of the widely published group ‘ActiveStills’, a collective of photographers based in Israel, who believe in the power of photography as a tool for social justice. Formed in 2005, they have since held and participated in exhibitions in Munich, Olympia, Bil’in (West Bank), Tel Aviv, Toronto, Montreal, Malmo, Lund and Amsterdam.

Events will be held during the week of the exhibition by local groups campaigning on the issue to raise awareness and mobilise solidarity with Palestinians.

The exhibition opens Tuesday 2nd Feb 6pm
Then open Wed-Sat 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-3pm
Thistle Hall, corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets, Wellington

For more info contact: pal.exhibition@gmail.com

Vic Palestine Group Film Screening - Tuesday 29 September, 5pm, Victoria University

Couscous Dates Almonds Olive Oil

These are four Palestinian food products currently available at your local Trade Aid Shop http://www.tradeaid.co.nz/

Support Palestinian Producers

Che Guevara Tribute - Supported by Wellington Palestine Group - Saturday 13 June, 6pm, St John's Hall (cnr. Willis or Dixion St)

Israelis get four-fifths of scarce West Bank water, says World Bank

By Rory McCarthy

Jerusalem -- A deepening drought in the Middle East is aggravating a dispute over water resources after the World Bank found that Israel is taking four times as much water as the Palestinians from a vital shared aquifer.

The region faces a fifth consecutive year of drought this summer, but the World Bank report found huge disparities in water use between Israelis and Palestinians, although both share the mountain aquifer that runs the length of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians have access to only a fifth of the water supply, while Israel, which controls the area, takes the rest, the bank said.

Israelis use 240 cubic metres of water a person each year, against 75 cubic metres for West Bank Palestinians and 125 for Gazans, the bank said. Increasingly, West Bank Palestinians must rely on water bought from the Israeli national water company, Mekorot.

In some areas of the West Bank, Palestinians are surviving on as little as 10 to 15 litres a person each day, which is at or below humanitarian disaster response levels recommended to avoid epidemics. In Gaza, where Palestinians rely on an aquifer that has become increasingly saline and polluted, the situation is worse. Only 5%-10% of the available water is clean enough to drink.

The World Bank report, published last month, provoked sharp criticism from Israel, which disputed the figures and the scale of the problem on the Palestinian side. But others have welcomed the study and its findings.

Gidon Bromberg, the Israeli head of Friends of the Earth Middle East, said there was a clear failure to meet basic water needs for both Israelis and Palestinians, and that Israelis were taking "the lion's share".

"The bottom line is there is a severe water crisis out there, predominantly on the Palestinian side, and it will be felt even worse this coming summer," Bromberg said at a conference on the issue in Jerusalem.

Film Showing!!!!

Come along and watch Arna's Children, a great doco exposing more of the bleak realities in Palestine.

Palestine Teach-In !!!

Canada closes doors on Galloway

British lawmaker George Galloway has been banned from visiting Canada to deliver an anti-war speech over his support for blockaded Gaza.

Canada's immigration service says the outspoken anti-war legislator was denied entry on national security grounds.

Calling the ban "idiotic", Galloway vowed to use all means at his disposal to overturn the ruling.

"The outrageous decision is not something I'm prepared to accept," Galloway said Friday.

Meanwhile, the Canadian immigration ministry said the decision would not be overturned since it was designed to "protect Canadians from people who fund, support or engage in terrorism".

Galloway violated EU sanctions on Gaza earlier in March by handing over more than 1.5 million pounds of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip.

Canada considers Hamas, the democratically-elected Palestinian government confined to the territory, as a terrorist group.

Israel annexing East Jerusalem, says EU

A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of East Jerusalem.

The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority's credibility and weakening support for peace talks. "Israel's actions in and around Jerusalem constitute one of the most acute challenges to Israeli-Palestinian peace-making," says the document, EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem. The report, obtained by the Guardian.