PSNA supports the protest at the ASB Tennis Classic to express outrage at the participation of Israeli tennis player Lina Glushko.
In Glushko’s own words:
“In these tough days, what my country is going through I can’t be more proud and happy to play with the Israeli flag next to my name and win matches”

Glushko has served in the Israeli military and is an Israeli army reservist. She is representing the rogue, apartheid state of Israel at the tournament.
“It is utterly unacceptable that the ASB Tennis Classic would include a reservist soldier from an army committing genocide in Gaza” says PSNA National Chair John Minto.
“Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) and United Nations officials have all condemned Israel for crimes of genocide and extermination in Gaza”
Within the last few days Israel has renewed attacks on Gaza’s hospitals as it tries to drive the entire Palestinian population from northern Gaza in a massive ethnic cleansing operation called the General’s plan.
Palestinians have faced 76 years of brutal Israeli occupation, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and genocide and have repeatedly called for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel to bring international pressure for change. This means ending sporting, cultural, economic and diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Apartheid is a crime against humanity wherever it is practiced. Just as we protested apartheid South African players at sports tournaments in the past we are protesting an Israel player today”
14 years ago Palestine solidarity supporters protested Israeli player Shahar Peer at the same tournament.
“Politics and sport are always strongly linked and Glushko’s presence is part of Israel’s strategy to normalise its racism and apartheid against Palestinians. New Zealanders will have none of it”
ASB itself is already morally crippled with its investments in companies such as Motorola which are complicit in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Now it is helping to normalise Israeli genocide by having Lina Glushko compete.
PSNA has previously written to the government asking it to suspend all visas for Israelis who have served in the Israeli military from coming to New Zealand. We have not yet had a response.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa



I don’t like Israel all that much but for me the Jews still have a Holocaust get out of jail free card. If you poke the bear you get the claws. #neveragain
“…the Jews still have a Holocaust get out of jail free card.”
Perhaps this is why Jews are so terrified of anyone every investigating the details and logistics of the narrative, even to the point of jailing them in some cases and/or otherwise ruining their lives. After all, the world would be a completely different place if the thing underpinning the post WW2 order, the holocaust, could not longer act as the foundation stone.
Think about it: without the Jews being able to rely on the holocaust get out of jail free card, they’s be just a murderous bunch of psychopathic misanthropes running amok in the world.
Now now Mary Ann. Yes, it may be true that we can see new video daily of Israelis murdering and torturing and raping Palestinians just for fun, but there are eyewitness testimonies from jews about the awful things the Nazis did, like throwing jews into a cage where a bear and an eagle would cooperate to rip them apart.
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/10/world/time-too-painful-to-remember.html
I don’t like Israel all that much but for me the Jews still have a Holocaust get out of jail free card. If you poke the bear you get the claws. #neveragain
I don’t like Israel all that much but for me the Jews still have a Holocaust get out of jail free card. If you poke the bear you get the claws. #neveragain
You need to learn from current events and not continually live in guilt over something that happened over 80 years ago. We don’t allow personal revenge in our justice system now and the harm to the Jews in Europe caused by the Holocaust is not a valid excuse for them to commit genocide on the Palestinians.
Peter, the Israelis have played that card for the last time. The world sympathy is with victims, not perpetrators.
Great protest. And that protest has been seen around the world. BDS works!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/asb-classic-auckland-tennis-tournament-sees-protest-against-israeli-player-lina-glushko/UY5MW3O2XNBGXA3FEBN66676CY/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360536804/anti-israel-protesters-halt-play-asb-classic
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/537869/asb-classic-match-stalled-by-protesters-in-wild-first-day
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-players-match-at-auckland-tournament-disrupted-by-anti-israel-protesters/
https://asiapacificreport.nz/2024/12/30/palestine-protest-group-condemns-nzs-normalisation-of-apartheid-over-israeli-tennis-player/NOTE
https://www.cnbctv18.com/sports/naomi-osaka-beats-israels-lina-glushko-as-protests-erupts-outside-stadium-in-wellington-19531481.htm
https://apnews.com/article/auckland-tennis-naomi-osaka-a2f4e1d65c5c3a5f10aa53c607cc7458
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tennis/2024/12/30/auckland-tennis-naomi-osaka/80309986-c672-11ef-a9b8-74e0b395057f_story.html
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-naomi-osaka-s-clash-ex-idf-soldier-lina-glushko-disrupted-anti-israel-protestors-controversial-scenes-asb-classic
https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/naomi-osaka-wins-her-1st-match-of-new-season-in-a-20006390.php
https://www.yardbarker.com/tennis/articles/blood_on_your_hands_anti_israel_protests_disrupt_naomi_osakas_match_in_auckland/s1_17460_41487866
https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/ap-national-sports/naomi-osaka-wins-her-1st-match-of-new-season-in-a-return-from-injury/
https://tennisuptodate.com/wta/lina-glushkos-controversial-pro-israel-posts-resurface-after-loss-to-naomi-osaka-if-you-support-this-youre-not-a-human-being-to-me
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/sports-games/3210216-naomi-osaka-triumphs-in-return-at-asb-tennis-classic
I think it’s almost impossible to find an Israeli in there 20s or 30s who hasn’t been either, in the army at some stage, or is currently a reservist. It’s part of their civic duty. I think even Wonder Woman falls into that category.
Also a mate works for an Aussie company that does massive deals with NZ infrastructure companies & councils. But as he said “the company is ‘registered’ in Australia but the owners live eslewhere…(between Jordan & Egypt).
Twelve losers with nothing better to do on a fine day. Try going for a run or maybe even having sex. The endorphins released might even relax you and give you a better feeling about life.
I was reflecting upon your track record of opposition Mr Minto. We marched with you in 198 against apartheid. The call from pro sport people was keep politics out of sport.. im proud to have stood with you then, we embarrassed the Saffers racist regime. We played our part. With regard to Israel you have my support. Moral causes don’t change, you are consistent.
Moral support? Do you have any particular opposition to indiscriminate suicide bombing as well?
That’s a big jump, really an idiot comment. Am I to assume you support genocide?
It’s not such a big jump really. You hark back to the 1980’s when you marched for HART. That was around the time of the first intifada which initiated indiscriminate suicide bombings and other terror attacks against innocent civilians. There was no objection at the time by Mr Minto and his ilk which by your own admission included yourself. I can assume by this admission that it is you that supports murder/genocide.
The heroic Palestinians defending themselves against you monsters who rape and kill children should be supported, yes.
The only reason Israel exists and will continue to exist is that they take nothing more seriously than their security and totally ignore the constant whine of muppets like Minto.
100%
James Brown. Security will always be taken seriously after an horrendous historical diaspora, and when there’s not a lot of other places to go. The Red Sea parting to settle survivors in Australian desert, as once was mooted, won’t be happening as easily as a ‘ refugee’ arriving in Britain and being put in a posh hotel or a council house with all mod cons and an income provided via the home-grown taxpayers who go out to work each day. Minto’s a protestor like Luxon’s entitled, and both may need to prioritise a bit.
Viewed from the other side of the world is there any difference between the resistance actions of ZOB and the resistance actions of Hamas?
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