No humanitarian visas for Palestinians victims of genocide but plenty of rest and recreation for Israeli soldiers involved in genocide

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Nationwide rallies this weekend will be calling for the government to suspend entry to New Zealand from soldiers in the Israeli Defence Forces.

“New Zealand should not be providing rest and recreation for Israeli soldiers fresh from the genocide in Gaza”, says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “We wouldn’t allow Russian soldiers to come here for rest and recreation from the invasion of Ukraine so why would we accept soldiers from the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel?”

As well as the working holiday visa, since 2019 Israelis can enter New Zealand for three months without needing a visa at all. This visa-waiver is used by Israeli soldiers for “rest and recreation” from the genocide in Gaza.

Israeli Defence Forces actions have resulted in at least 47,000 Palestinians killed – 70% of whom are women and children.

The International Court of Justice has declared Israeli actions a “plausible genocide” Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have used the terms genocide and extermination which the latest report from United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, is entitled “Genocide as colonial erasure”.

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Meanwhile the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

All these red flags for genocide have been visible for months but the government is still giving the green light to those involved in war crimes to enter New Zealand.

PSNA has written to the government again in December asking for the suspension of travel to New Zealand for all Israeli soldiers and reservists.

New Zealand has signed the Genocide convention which requires us to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. The government is complicit with its silence.

It’s long past the time for the government to step up.

Nā,

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

 

These are on the PSNA Facebook events page here with the basic details listed below.

North Island
Opononi – Shared Palestinian themed lunch
Saturday 25 January
1:00 pm
Outside Opononi four square

Kerikeri – Rally
First Saturday of the month

Whangarei – Rally
No Rally this week

Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!
Every Saturday
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Ostend Market, Waiheke Island

Auckland – Stand for Palestine
Monday – Friday
3:00 – 4:00 pm at the US Consulate – 23 Customs Street East
4:00 – 5:00 pm at Te Komititanga Britomart Square

Auckland Picket – Joining Marika at Stand for Palestine (see above)
Wednesday 15 January
3:00 – 4:00 pm at the US Consulate – 23 Customs Street East
4:00 – 5:00 pm at Te Komititanga Britomart Square

Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau
Every Saturday
This week
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Orams Road overbridge in Manurewa. Near Pedestal Lane Park.
Text John on 021 899 659 for more details

Auckland – Rally Pause
The full rally is Paused so we can reinvigorate ourselves.
A smaller event will take place.
Saturday 25 January
2:00 pm
Te Komititanga – Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau

Auckland – Banner Making session
Sunday 26 January – 10:00 – 9:00 pm
Monday 27 January – 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Corban Estate Art Centre, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson

Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
(Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice – Hauraki)
First Saturday of the month

Tauranga – Picnic in the Park
Friday 24 January
6:00 pm
Gourmet Night Market, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

Tauranga – Flags for Palestine
Sunday 26 January
11:00 am
Papamoa shopping center, Domain & Gravatt Rd, Papamoa

Hamilton – Community Gathering
Friday 24 January
6:00 pm
Riverbank, Memorial Park, Memorial Drive

Hamilton – Flag Waving for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
No Flags – This is a Rest and re-energise weekend

Hamilton – Rally
Saturday 25 January
No Rally – This is a Rest and re-energise weekend

Raglan
Sunday 25 January
Nothing this week

Cambridge – Rally for Palestine
Every Saturday
11:00 am
Cambridge Town Hall

Rotorua – Rally for Palestine
Every Thursday
4:30 pm
National MP Todd McClays Office – Cnr Amohau and Ranolf St lights, Rotorua

Gisborne – Farmers Market – Vigil to Stop the war on Children
Every Saturday
9:30 – 11:30 am
Gisborne Farmers Market

Napier – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
11:30 am
Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout

Hastings – Rally for Palestine
Sunday 26 January
1:00 pm
Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD

Palmerston North – Rally
Every Sunday
2:00 pm
The Square, Palmerston North

New Plymouth – Flags at the Council
Every Friday
4:00 – 5:30 pm
New Plymouth District Council, 84 Liardet Street

New Plymouth – Flags for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
1:00 PM
The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth

Whanganui – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
11:00 am
Riverside Market, Whanganui

Carterton – Gathering for Gaza
Every Tuesday
12:00 midday
Memorial Square.

Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine
Every Wednesday
11:00 am
The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough

Masterton – Gathering for Gaza
Every Sunday
9:30 am
Town Hall Lawn, Masterton

Featherston – Gathering for Gaza
Every Saturday
11:00 am
The Squircle (opposite the op shop).

Wellington – Flags on the Bridge
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Every Friday
7:45 – 8:45 am
Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington

Wellington – Vigil for Palestine
(hosted by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)
Every Friday
6:00 pm
In front of Wellington Hospital, 49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington

Wellington – Rally
(hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)
Saturday 25 January
1:00 pm
Check out https://www.instagram.com/falastin_tea_collective for details

South Island
Nelson – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
10:30 am
1903 Square, Upper Trafalgar Street, Nelson

Blenheim – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
11:00 am
Blenheim Railway Station

Christchurch – Flags for Palestine
Friday 24 January
4:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

Christchurch – Rally for Palestine
Saturday 25 January
1:00 pm
Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

Timaru
No Rally this weekend

Dunedin – Rally
Saturday 25 January
No Rally this weekend

Queenstown
No rally this weekend

Invercargill – Rally for Palestine
Sunday 26 January
1:00 pm
Wachner place Invercargill

44 COMMENTS

  1. Martyn – Who will vet those refugees coming to NZ? Hamas? UNRWA – the same organisation that is problematic in terms of supporting Hamas?

  2. Our shysters in government did nothing for Palestinians being bombed. They aren’t ever going to get refugee status from this pack of hyenas.

  3. A ‘israeli’ court decision recently highlighted the kind of ‘people’ who come from that terrorist group.
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-drops-case-against-five-caught-murdering-and-abusing-palestinians
    A prosecutor dropped a case issued in late 2023 against five beasts who had kidnapped and murdered several random Palestinians.
    “At the time, four judges issued search warrants after concluding that there was reasonable suspicion of a murder occurring.

    Yifrah confessed to the police and in WhatsApp messages sent to others that he had killed “terrorists” outside of combat.

    Ofir also confessed in WhatsApp messages to having killed “terrorists” after allegedly torturing them both sexually and physically.”
    Why was the case dropped? Oh, for the normal reason. Because the prosecutor determined that the men might just been engaged in normal ‘israeli’ bragging, where they all aspire to rape and kill innocent gentiles for fun.

    So that’s your ‘israeli’ ‘soldiers’. Either they are rapists and murderers already, or they were raised in a ‘culture’ where rape and murder are as normal as breathing or spitting on Christian priests.

          • If you are saying that immigrants or refugees exiting their own countries to have a better life in ours, should not expect New Zealand to change its laws or customs or mores to accommodate their own particular needs or wants, then that is not unreasonable.

      • Interesting that the people being released who were kidnapped some of whom are soldiers appear to be in good health. Unlike those that have been raped and tortured by Israel’s IDF. You know about the young man filmed being raped I am sure, don’t tell me that is a one off.

  4. Tut tut John, next thing you know you will be accused of antisemitism and blood libel. /S
    How the feck did we allow a minority religion that has only 15.7 follows hijack the world.

    • Guilt, guilt guilt, they sat on their hands whilst 6 million were incinerated. This atrocity will be used forever by the Zionists.

    • It’s not racist hate speech at all. I may not agree with a lot of what John Minto says, but he lives in a country where he’s welcome to say it.

      There is nothing he’s said above that is racist or hateful.

    • Wow David I am soooo frightened for him. As I read recently.

      When the measure of that which is deemed anti-Semitic is lowered to the criticism of Israel’s apartheid system, or by the calling out of Zionism as a fascist movement, or by suggesting that the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand will not recognise the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel, perhaps because it is one of their listed “Major Donors and Supporters”, you know that the game is rigged.

      You know the constant ‘get out of jail free card’ that the Zionists use, we were persecuted so now we will persecute you and we can do that without fear of the Western governments having a go at us because you know we will call this anti-semitism. And we are really really afraid of having that thrown at us.

  5. Minto has never been happy unless he’s got something to lead a protest about.

    The ceasefire wasn’t enough, now he wants to vet tourists for being Israeli.

    • They are not tourists Ada and no where does it say they are. Anyone who has worked for the IDF is not welcome to my country. Murdering bastards, I see that one was kicked out of a backpackers because he was an IDFr on R&R. He is not going to rest in my country then go back and do more killing. Australia did not allow them in at all!

  6. So, no visas for Palestinian victims of genocide? I thought according to the definition of genocide, said Palestinian victims would already be dead!

  7. So, what has this Govt done for Israelis and what has the Govt done for Palestinians, since Oct 7? I think that this is a question, if asked, and if somehow answered, that can truly make waves! This question, this issue, was raised at our latest protest.

  8. Modern “blood libel” would be all the Israeli lies about beheaded baby’s, mass rape, and the never ending (dead) human shields ,,, that zionists (like gaby) angrily scream about …. To give Israel support for them mass murdering children and other civilians.

    gabys has openly called for the genocide of Palestinians ,,, before Oct 7th ,,, after that date he screamed blue murder and for revenge,,, over the non-existent 40 beheaded baby’s that Israel made up,,

    That’s just one example of the 100% blood libel from Israel gaby and other zionists.
    *************************************************

    ‘I felt like a Nazi’: Zionists admit genocide https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/opinion/-i-felt-like-a-nazi—zionists-admit-genocide

    “On December 23rd, 2024, “Israel’s” Haaretz published an extraordinary investigation into the “impact” of Zionist Occupation Force “brutality” on the “mental health” of its own militants. Specifically, “moral injury” incurred by Tel Aviv’s soldiers while perpetrating unabashed genocide in Gaza.

    The article’s author, along with a ZOF “social welfare officer”, decades prior conducted academic research into why Tel Aviv’s soldiers regularly commit the most sadistic atrocities imaginable against innocent Palestinians.

    The pair identified separate “groups” of ZOF soldiers, “based on personality traits”. First and foremost was a “ruthless and callous” faction, who “committed the most severe atrocities” and “viewed brutality as an expression of strength and masculinity.” The “power” they felt serving in “Israel’s” genocidal military was “intoxicating”. One boastfully described how he had “no problem” brutalising and murdering women, citing how he’d kicked a Palestinian female so hard bones in her groin “broke”, and “she can’t have children today”

    the outlet’s little-noticed reporting offered extensive, unprecedented insight into routine horrors casually meted out to Palestinians by the entity, before and after October 7th, 2023.

    “I felt like…a Nazi…it looked exactly like we were actually the Nazis and they were the Jews,” one member of this contingent testified. Another bore witness to how a “new commander”, during their “first patrol” together in the early hours of the morning, hideously mutilated a defenceless Palestinian child:

    “There’s not a soul in the streets, just a little four-year-old boy playing in the sand in his yard. The commander suddenly starts running, grabs the boy, and breaks his arm at the elbow and his leg here. Stepped on his stomach three times and left. We all stood there with our mouths open…He told me, ‘these kids need to be killed from the day they are born.’ When a commander does that, it becomes legit.”

    **************************************************

    What types of ‘personalitys’ ,,, in context of Israels war crimes and genocide are we letting in for holidays here? ,,, some will be murderers for sure,,, 100% guaranteed.

    ****************************************************

    When it comes to the most documented and filmed genocide in history,,, and zionists,,,,, the question becomes are they really really stupid?,,, or are they bad liars with no shame??

    Bear wittness …….

    : Amnesty International ,,,, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/01/more-than-250-humanitarian-and-human-rights-organisations-call-to-stop-arms-transfers-to-israel-palestinian-armed-groups/
    “Amnesty has specifically condemned Israel for using starvation as a method of war.”

    Center for Constitutional Rights (US)
    “The CCR is a United States-based legal advocacy fighting for civil rights since 1966 that has also said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

    UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
    “Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation in Palestine, has concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza….She noted that beyond denying life-saving aid and food to Palestinians, Israel was also bringing about the destruction of the people through systematically destroying hospitals and farmland.”

    International Court of Justice
    “The UN’s World Court ruled on January 26 that Palestinians were “at risk of” genocide.
    The hearings in January saw the court issue a binding order for Israel to stop acts of genocide by scaling up humanitarian aid.
    Until now, Israel has defied the court’s orders and has instead killed relief workers and civil servants in Gaza who are indispensable in distributing humanitarian relief.”

    “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the official Vatican News agency cited the pontiff as writing….”

    “Irish lawmakers approved a non-binding motion declaring that “genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza.”

    Humans right watch – https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/12/19/israels-crime-extermination-acts-genocide-gaza
    “Israeli authorities have deliberately inflicted conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths”

    Doctors without Borders (MSF) https://www.msf.org/msf-report-exposes-israel%E2%80%99s-campaign-total-destruction
    “what our medical teams have witnessed on the ground throughout this conflict is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organisations concluding that genocide is taking place in Gaza.”

    etc etc etc …..

    Who would believe our right wing zionists?? ,,,,,,, maybe, if you’ve had a lobotomy AND you’ve contracted rabies,,, maybe under those circumstances you might believe them.

  9. My picture of Gaby is he’s 103 and has been out of the picture since 1947. And Nathan is just a simple fool.

    The great Minto for the oppressed without friends picks out the wrongness of our govt. entirely.

  10. Now what problem would a Palestinian have in NZ? When someone conquers my country I have a problem with them. When someone offers me a hand I have no problem. Reactionary crap by this know-nothing gummint. Not an ideal very clear to the masses.

      • They are not tourists Ada, you clearly hasn’t read what this is about.
        They are Israelis that are in the IDF which has murdered 50,000 people and they come here for a few months for their R&R and then they go back and murder some more

        This is not people who have migrated and got a job. Read please before making stupid comments.

        Would it be okay with you if the Russian soldiers came here, please tell me.

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