PSNA is holding nationwide rallies on Saturday August 6th in solidarity with Palestinians resisting ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta, an area of the South Hebron hills which is home to over 1200 Palestinians living in 20 villages.

“Many of these people are Palestinian farmers with flocks of sheep who are being driven off their land. New Zealanders understand what this means”, says John Minto, the National Chair of PSNA.

See video of Israeli ethnic cleansing at Masafer Yatta and its impacts here

“Not only is it illegal under international law and a crime against humanity, but it is unjust and inhumane in the extreme”

This is Israel’s largest ethnic cleansing operation in more than 50 years.

“Israel’s behaviour is abhorrent to New Zealanders” says John Minto, “And the rallies will be calling for the government to speak out and demand these racist policies are stopped”

“Unfortunately, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to call out human rights abuses to a US agenda”

“Our government heavily condemn Russia and China (which the US sees as threats) for human rights abuses but looks the other way when Israel abuses Palestinians or Indonesia abuses the occupied people of West Papua”

“Hypocrisy like this has no place in a country which claims to have an independent foreign policy” says John Minto.

The rallies taking place tomorrow are in:

Auckland: Saturday 6 August, 2pm, Aotea Square. Facebook event here

New Plymouth: Saturday 6 August, 12 noon, Puke Ariki landing. Facebook event here

Nelson: Saturday 6 August at the Nelson Market, 10am to 12 noon. Facebook event here

Christchurch: Saturday 6 August, 12 noon, Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street. Facebook event here

Later in the day there will be an online rally with activists resisting the ethnic cleansing: Saturday 6th August, 7pm (NZ time) at the zoom link here. Media are welcome to link in and report.

Speakers include Sami Hurraini, co-founder of Youth of Sumud (“steadfastness”) who are active on the ground in Masafer Yatta and Manal Shqair, International advocacy officer-Stop the Wall Campaign in Colonized Palestine.

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