David Robie also blogs at Café Pacific
From Asia Pacific Report
A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — on Sunday as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products.
The rally by hundreds of protesters marked Israel’s killing of more than 34,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — and wounding more than 77,000 in its genocidal war on Gaza.
The war has lasted 205 days so far with no let-up in the deadly assault on the besieged enclave and protesters staged 35 events around New Zealand this week as global demonstrations continue to grow.
- READ MORE: Israel blocks international mission to sail desperately needed aid into Gaza
- Israeli pressure delays Freedom Flotilla’s departure for Gaza: Organisers
- Hundreds of university students arrested in US as Gaza war protests spread
Opposition MPs took part in the rally, including Labour’s Shanan Halbert and Green Party’s Steve Abel and Ricardo Menéndez March.
Activist and educator Maryam Perreira called on Palestine supporters to step up their boycott and divestments pressure — “it’s working, sanctions brought down apartheid South Africa and this will bring down the Israeli genocidal regime”.
“Food not bombs for Gaza”. Video: Café Pacific
She said the courage and commitment of the Palestinian resistance had become an inspiration to the world.
Send Israeli ambassador home
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) secretary Neil Scott called for sanctions action by the New Zealand government.
He urged Palestine supporters to call on the government to:
• Send the Israeli ambassador home, and
• End the working holiday visa for 200 Israelis who come to New Zealand to rest and relax “after committing genocide in Gaza”.
Scott called on New Zealanders to email Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford to take action.
“Try just one email and see how it goes. Then another on another topic. Then another. That’s how I started a while ago,” Scott said.
“We need a tide of emails to get them to understand that Kiwis don’t want the Israeli ambassador here.
“Neither do we want the young Israelis committing genocide today and to walk among us tomorrow.”
More than 13,000 people have signed a petition calling for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Welington.
“They can’t demonise an entire nation.” Video: Café Pacific
Superfund divestment
Scott said divestment pressure also worked – it is one of the driving forces for student protests at some 70 universities across the US over the past week with police arresting hundreds.
He spoke about the NZ government’s Superfund which has investments all over the world.
“A few years ago, they invested in Israeli banks which were investing in the building of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestine Territories. They were involved in investing and enabling crimes against humanity,” Scott said.
“Our efforts got the NZ Superfund to divest from those banks in 2021.”
“BDS – more action call.” Video: Café Pacific
He called on people with KiwiSaver fund accounts to check them out for investments in “Israeli companies who are in any way involved in the occupation”.
“We’re now calling for everyone to boycott Israeli products — or those companies which are complicit in Israeli crimes against humanity or the illegal occupation, land theft, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and now genocide.”
Scott cited the boycott target list of the global BDS movement — Ahava (“Dead Sea mineral skin care products”), BP and Caltex, Hewlett-Packard, McDonalds, Obela Hummus and SodaStream.
“The key is for all of us to take action today. Remember — boycott, divest, sanction.”
Meanwhile, 1News reports that three New Zealand doctors planning to sail with an independent flotilla carrying aid to Gaza have had their mission “scuppered at the last minute”. They blame Israel for the delay.
The doctors — Dr Ali Al-Kenani, Dr Wasfi Shahin and Dr Faiez Idais — left for Istanbul 10 days ago where they joined other international volunteers in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, said 1News.
Organisers of the humanitarian aid mission said the boats were set to sail under the flag of the West African nation of Guineau Bisseau but said the country had withdrawn permission to use its flag under pressure from Israel.
Dr Robie – Die in for the victims of the 7th Oct attack on the cards?
Some reasons why not:
1. The Gaza genocide is on-going. The October 7 operation by Hamas is not, and is now a matter for historical analysis rather than activist protests.
2. The Realm of New Zealand along with its “traditional allies’ is complicit in the Gaza genocide. It was not complicit in the October 7 attack. Therefore New Zealanders have a moral obligation with respect to the exposing the genocide, but no such specific moral obligation with respect to October 7.
3. In the present context constant reference to October 7 is being made by those who wish to distract attention from the Gaza genocide. Those who allow themselves to be drawn into the orchestrated chorus over October 7th therefore become unintentional or intentional apologists for genocide.
Why would anyone have a ‘die in’ for home invaders who got their just desserts?
Considering that the victims of October 7 were lost due to the failure of Israeli security or directly shot by the IDF you are engaged in a futile effort to blame your team’s mistakes on others.
“DISCLOSE. DIVEST. WE WILL NOT STOP WE WILL NOT REST.”
Student campus occupation chant
Yes the sort of chant one expects from students.
Columbia lecturers and other faculty don hi viz and form a security barrier around their protesting students to protect them from the police.
https://twitter.com/jessicaschwalb7/status/1785009799538622557
Statement from Columbia University President Minouche Shafik
April 29, 2024
https://president.columbia.edu/news/statement-columbia-university-president-minouche-shafik-4-29
“….since Wednesday, a small group of academic leaders has been in constructive dialogue with student organizers….
…. Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement.”
“….the University will not divest from Israel”
“….the University offered to convene a faculty committee to address academic freedom
….The University also offered to make investments in health and education in Gaza, including supporting early childhood development and support for displaced scholars. There are important ideas that emerged from this dialogue, and we plan to explore pursuing them in the future.
“…We will continue to update the community with new developments.
Sincerely,
Minouche Shafik
President, Columbia University in the City of New York
Over in the USA I see that Columbia has threatened protestors with arrest and the latter have responded by saying they’ll burn the university to the ground.
When asked a question one of the protesters said “I can’t reply I’m dead.”
A ‘score’? Comforting to know there’s only 20 profound idiots in the country. Start a war, you reap casualties, especially when your terrorist leaders use you as human shields. How about a ‘Free-in’ for the Israeli hostages?
Are you a Zionist Gaby?
Are you a communist Pat?
Yes
Well that says plenty.
Does gaby mean the over 1000 hostages held indefinably with no charges under Israels ‘Administrative detention’ ?????
Or does he mean the children convicted in Israels military courts (with high rates of abuse) for the charge of throwing stones,,,, which Israel has deemed worthy of up to a 20 year sentence ??? …. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/palestinian-child-throwing-rock-at-israeli-tank-photo-by-musa-AL-SHAER-e1481141346313.jpg
As we all know gaby is not right his deranged head….
That is a dirty smear, typically made by Zionists to intimidate their opponents and incite violence against them.
This dirty smear is usually followed by doxing. That you spread this smear and incitement to violence against me and my family from the safety of anonymity is despicable.
Gaby I merely asked you if you were a Zionist
What I or others think a Zionist is, is irrelevant. If you think being a Zionist is a good thing you should be proud to say you are one. And defend that position. Instead of replying with a simply yes or no, you have crossed the line into hate speech with a vile smear commonly used to incite violence.
The same vile smear that the Putinists made to justify their horrific violence against Ukraine that Ukraine has taken Russia to court for.
They’ll be showing Screams Before Silence as well?
It’s hardly surprising that Israel rapes the truth so they can commit the most horrendous mass child abuse on our planet ,,,,
Whats your excuse for repeating the mass rape hoax Xenophon ? Do you like spreading a pack of lies from a bunch of frauds,,, https://youtu.be/JA4oIKugdAM?t=1610
Or are you just ignorant and gullible? ,,, over and over again ,,,,
Either way Xenophon ,,, Do YOU support the abuse against Palestinian children in Gaza that is a 1000 times worse than some sick Pedophiles sexual assult ( or closer to 15,000 times worse if we count up the dead kids the zionists have killed) and is all committed by the good guys’ Israel.
And If you want to quibble about the number of child victims murdered by Israels lethal jack the ripper abuse ……..then do tell us the number of murdered, maimed, starved and fucked up children you are happy to support ,,, Xenophon
Unlike your rape fable fiction as an excuse for what you support ,,,Here’s the real reason for Israels actions ,,, Israeli supremacist racial hatred towards those whose land they stole
,,,,, “” Erase Gaza from the face of the earth. Let the Gazan monsters rush to the southern border and flee into Egypt, or die. And let them die badly. Gaza should be wiped off the map.
Galit Distel-Atbaryan, Member of the Knesset
” We must find ways for Gazans that are more painful than death
Amichay Eliyahu, Minister of Heritage “
Say Xenophon again. I think we need a little more Xenophon
Sure thing ,,, Xenophon just tried to joke his way out of his sick support for Israels depraved ‘Jack the ripper’ type of child abuse
If he got a laugh every time Israel fucks another child he could be a professional comedian …
But that’s not funny,,, and when it comes down to it he knows admitting his support for Israels mass child abuse is shameful and disgusting.
” We must not show mercy to cruel people, there is no place for any humanitarian gestures – we must erase the memory of Amalek.
Boaz Bismuth, Member of the Knesset ”
Amalek??? whats the memory Israel must erase?—- “Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. ”
Gee ,,Those zionists really want to get the job done ,,, don’t they?.
Noone cares about your fictional tales of rape you invent as you actually rape human beings, zionist.
Well, students were correct about the Vietnam war and I can’t help thinking there correct about this one. “The kids are alright!”
The support for terrorists on this site is amazing but not unexpected.
By “the support for terrorists on this site”, do you mean the support for Zionists?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist_political_violence#:~:text=Zionist%20political%20violence%20refers%20to,committed%20against%20opponents%20of%20Zionism.
You know I don’t.
So which terrorists do you support?
None.
You don’t support the Zionists. Good to know.
It seems people who say that they are Zionists, or admit that they support Zionism are a vanishing breed.
Yes, it’s disgusting that there are zionists on this site. You should be in prison like your buddy Brenton Tarrant.
That’s silly.
For a little more histrionics
Israel’s Netanyahu says any ICC arrest warrants would be scandal on historic scale
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-netanyahu-says-any-icc-arrest-warrants-would-be-scandal-historic-scale-2024-04-30/
…”The possibility that they will issue arrest warrants for war crimes against IDF (Israel Defence Force) commanders and state leaders, this possibility is a scandal on a historic scale,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
There is a very real possibility that Benjamin Netanyahu could wind up in jail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3itFO2yt36g
Once the dam breaks and the prosecutions start rolling in, Netanyahu will be joined by others.
BDS is good but it won’t bring down Israel. Unlike South Africa, the political power behind Israel is much too strong for that. The problem is political, arguably, like most problems today. Shame about the flotilla, would have been dicey anyway so perhaps not all bad.
Ohhh FFS AO, the old BDS nugget!
Look up online how much technology Israel make/manufacture…umteen billions of dollars, their weaponry innovations are bought by a vast amount of countries, their innovations/inventions are used all over the planet.
Soooo yes, you stop buying that soda stream or olives or whatever, will not make a bit of difference to Israel AO….but it’s cute you think it would lol
Well, why bother…why bother commenting about something that does not matter. And why does Israel make such a song n dance about BDS also. Funny ole world.
Still, the main problem here is politics, and cheers to you, you have reminded me of Israel’s weapons/intel machine and other areas that this article didn’t allude to. Thus, BDS has more bite to it than I cared to think. Now, all we have to do is pressure/protest our compromised politicians with our list of concerns to hit them up upon, now having grown in my eyes.
Stopping the flotilla from taking aid to Gaza is another flagrant breach of the World Court’s binding order on Israel not to impede aid to the territory. Further evidence, if any was needed, of Israel’s intention to commit mass murder amounting to genocide. Israel has dropped more explosive power on Gaza equivalent to three Hiroshima size bombs. Unlike the survivors of Hiroshima, the survivors in Gaza are to be denied medical aid, and food and water.
It’s insane. How can this genocide be allowed to continue and denied and excused. Among companies support Israel is Google. They are providing the AI technology that deliberately targets innocent people to kill. That is how so many women and children have been murdered because they have been deliberately targeted. The whole world knows this yet they continue to excuse and enable this horrific war. But it’s not even war as they are not abiding by any war conventions.
The brutal vigilante attacks on peaceful anti-genocide protesters in the US, which have so far gone “unnoticed” by the New Zealand media, may be a sign of things to come. Are we seeing the rise of fascism played backwards, with the genocide preceding the ugly mob violence, break down of the rule of law and finally seizure of state power, inspired and presumably funded by those supposedly “decent” people who rule over neo-liberal capitalism? It is just a week ago that I was unlawfully arrested by New Zealand Police for holding up, in silent witness, signs which read “LEST WE FORGET GAZA” and “REMEMBER SURAFEND”, and Police Commissioner Coster has yet to respond to a call for him to order a return to rule of law by Police in our rohe.
It would be folly for us to suppose that those responsible for genocide in Gaza will respect the rights or even the lives of citizens in our own motu. Let us prepare for the worst now.
Hamas agree to temporary ceasefire. Crowds celebrate in Rafah. Israel looks to turn down ceasefire, which will seal the fate of 1.4 million people crammed into Rafah and possibly ending the lives of any hostages caught in the crossfire.
At this time the hostages are not just hostages they are witnesses, when Gazans are killed by Israel, they are killed by Israel, when Gazans are starved by Israel the hostages are starved by Israel. It is quite clear that Netanyahu does not want the hostages back, they are witnesses to the unspeakable horrors unleashed on Gaza by Israel.