Palestinian and Jewish groups join the appeal to Kiri Te Kanawa

Palestinian and Jewish activist groups have joined forces in a last ditch appeal to New Zealand singer Kiri Te Kanawa to abandon plans to sing at the Israel Festival later this week (4 June)

GPJA wrote to the singer in February and urged her to withdraw from the festival in support of the growing international BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign against Israeli apartheid.

We asked her to support the boycott and its aims of

· Ending Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of the Gaza strip

· Ending the building of illegal, exclusively Jewish settlements on Palestinian land

· Allowing the return of Palestinian refugees to their land and homes in Israel

Kiri Te Kanawa has not replied and is keeping a low profile before she sings for the country which every day commits human rights outrages against the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian and Israeli activist groups which have endorsed the call to Kiri Te Kanawa include -

a.. BRICUP (British Committee for the Universities of Palestine)
b.. PSC (Palestine Solidarity Committee)
c.. J-BIG (Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods)

These groups are making their own approaches to the New Zealand singer. (The letter from BRICUP is attached)

Meanwhile the daily toll of violence and repression of Palestinians continues. Attached with this release also is a summary of events in a single day this week which underline the daily suffering and humiliation of Palestinians and the importance of the BDS campaign.

John Minto

Spokesperson

Global Peace and Justice Auckland

Background letter:

Letter from BRICUP to Kiri Te Kanawa

17th May 2011

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Michael Stars Music Ltd.
11 Maiden Lane
London WC2E 7NA
UK

Request to withdraw from plans to perform in Israel

I am writing to endorse the letter sent to you by John Minto on behalf of Global Peace and Justice, Auckland - as attached, which asks you most earnestly not to appear in the Israel Festival for your performance on 4th June. We urge you to understand and recognize the united appeal from the Palestinian people for the support of a cultural and academic boycott of all events sponsored by the state of Israel.

By appearing you will be blatantly ignoring this appeal and supporting a regime which is guilty of illegal occupation, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Your concert comes just at the time when Palestinians are remembering their Nakba, or catastrophe, in May 1948 when half the Palestinian population was driven from their homes in Palestine. These people remain in exile and have never been given the right of return which is recognized by the United Nations and the international community.

I write on behalf of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine, which has widespread support in the British academic community. Our members are amongst the thousands in this country, including the many in music departments in British universities and schools, who are deep admirers of your wonderful art and skill. But they will be deeply disappointed if you ignore this call, and remain deaf to the people of Palestine.

Yours sincerely

Zoë Mars

pp

British Committee for the Universities of Palestine

Background letter:

Letter from Global Peace and Justice Auckland sent to Kiri Te Kanawa on 27 February 2011

Kia ora Kiri,

Request to reconsider plans to perform in Israel

I'm writing to request you reconsider your plans to sing at the Israel Festival (23 May to 1 June) this year.

For the past five years Palestinian groups representing all aspects of Palestinian society have been calling for the international community to support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign against Israel as the best way to support the struggle for Palestinian human rights.

An important part of the BDS campaign is the cultural boycott of Israel and here is where your position is so important. Your support for the boycott would be welcomed by Palestinians who suffer under a brutal Israeli military occupation. It will also help Israel to understand it cannot violate international law with impunity and must treat Palestinians as they would themselves wish to be treated.

The Israeli invasion of Gaza in December 2008 where 1400 Palestinians were killed and the attack on the aid vessel Mavi Mamara last year are just the latest outrages by the Israeli state which the BDS campaign aims to counter.

We appeal to you as a New Zealander to join the boycott of Israel for the same reasons you supported the boycott of apartheid South Africa. I should point out that Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela are strong supporters of the BDS campaign for the same reasons they appealed to the world to boycott South Africa.

As far back as 1989 South Africa's Bishop Desmond Tutu said "if you change the names, the description of what is happening in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank would be a description of what is happening in South Africa."

Increasing numbers of international performers support the boycott of Israel and we'd like to think New Zealanders would once again be at the forefront of a human rights struggle.

If you would like more information please don't hesitate to contact me. I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

John Minto

Spokesperson Global Peace and Justice Auckland

Background:

A typical 24 hours in occupied Palestine - 24 hours to 8am on 31st May 2011

Main source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group (PMG).

a.. Gaza incursion: houses and property under Israeli fire - crops bulldozed
b.. Night home invasions: injury - woman hospitalised
c.. Raid: teenager (17) injured - Israeli Army obstructs ambulance
d.. 4am home invasions: Israeli soldiers abduct 2 youngsters (16 & 17)
e.. 2:10am raid: destruction - vandalism - theft
f.. El Bireh home invasion: Israeli troops abduct boy (16)
g.. Night peace disruption and/or home invasions in refugee camp and 18 towns and villages
h.. 2 attacks - 30 raids including home invasions - 1 beaten - 2 injured
i.. 6 acts of agricultural/economic sabotage - 25 taken prisoner - 12 detained - 76 restrictions of movement

Home invasions & occupations: 13:50, El Bireh - 02:00-04:45, Arraba - 02:00, Kafr Ra'i - 03:00, Jalqamus village - 14:00, Azzun - 00:30-06:20, Azzun - 04:00, the Ad Duheisha refugee camp - 17:40, Tarqumiya - 00:10, Idhna - 00:50, Beit Einun.

Peace disruption raids: 20:20, Abu Dis - 10:15, Turmus'aya - 23:00, Arura - 02:30, Kobar - 22:50, Ajjul - 08:10, Silat adh Dhahr - 10:10, Zabda village - 02:10, Jenin - 02:25, Jaba - 02:30, Az Zababida - 03:30, Anin - 03:45, As Silat al Harithiya - 11:30, Tulkarem - 02:10-05:30, Illar town - 12:55, Iraq Burin village - 01:20=07:10, Beit Imrin - 02:20, Azmut village - 11:20, Haris - midnight, Hebron - 09:50, Kifl Haris.

Palestinian attacks: none

Israeli attack - incursion - agricultural sabotage: Gaza - noon, Israeli armoured vehicles and bulldozers invaded farmland to the east of Gaza City, opening fire on houses and property and bulldozing crops.

Israeli attack - injury - hospitalisation - home invasions: Hebron - 00:50, a woman in her home was overcome by Israeli tear gas and admitted to hospital during an attack by Occupation forces on Beit Einun. The Israeli Army shot its way into people's homes and used explosives to smash its way into an office block.

Beating - injury: Jerusalem - evening, Israeli soldiers took prisoner and beat up Murad al Banna, a resident of Silwan, inflicting severe injuries on the man.

Raid: Jenin - 08:10, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled Silat adh Dhahr town, photographing a number of houses and streets.

Raid - injury - ambulance obstruction: Nablus - 12:55, the Israeli Army raided and patrolled Iraq Burin village, firing a tear gas grenade at and injuring 17-year-old Saqr Husan Ahed Qadous. Occupation troops refused to allow an ambulance access to take the boy to hospital.

Raid - home invasion - abduction - property violations: Ramallah - 13:50, the Israeli Army raided El Bireh, searched a restaurant and a house, took away CCTV cameras and a computer and abducted a 16-year-old boy, Hamed Na'im Hassoun.

Raid - home invasions - abductions: Bethlehem - 04:00, the Israeli Army raided the Ad Duheisha refugee camp, searched a number of houses and abducted two youngsters, Zakari Mustafa Abu 'Eisheh (16) and Qusay Ma'rouf al Masri (17).

Raid - destruction - economic sabotage: Salfit - 11:20, Occupation forces raided the village of Haris and demolished a car-wash facility.

Raid: Ramallah - 22:50, Israeli helicopter-borne troops raided Ajjul village, firing flares and patrolling the area.

Raid - destruction - vandalism - theft: Jenin - 02:10, Occupation troops raided the city and broke into an office building, destroying the doors of several offices, breaking windows, vandalising the interiors and stealing computers from the office of the Al Bara'a al Muslima Society. The soldiers also welded the office door shut and posted an announcement, stating that the Society was closed down.

Pastoral sabotage: Tubas - 16:10, the Israeli Army demolished 19 structures, including farm buildings, makeshift houses and sheep-pens, near the Northern Jordan Valley villages of Al Farisiya and Al Malih.

Agricultural sabotage: Qalqilya - 09:35, Occupation troops demolished farm buildings trapped behind Israel's annexation Wall in the village of Arab Ar Ramadin al Janubi. See also

Economic sabotage: Qalqilya - 09:50, the Israeli Army demolished a building that was housing construction material near the entrance to Jinsafut village.

Occupation settler violence - attempted arson: Qalqilya - 13:15, militants from the Gilead settlement outpost invaded farmland land near Far'ata village and attempted to set fire to crops but were thwarted by villagers.

Occupation settler violence - arson - pastoral sabotage: Nablus - 16:05, a mob from the settlement of Yitzhar invaded farmland land south of Madama village and set fire to pasture.

Occupation settler violence: Salfit - 09:50, Israeli militants invaded Kifl Haris.

Occupation settler violence - vandalism: Bethlehem - 17:35, a mob from the Daniel settlement stoned nearby passing vehicles on the main Bethlehem-Hebron road.

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