16 May 2021

PSNA met online tonight and decided to organise nationwide protests again next Saturday 22 May.

We were very pleased with the 4,000 people who turned out in 10 centres around the country last Saturday – the largest public protests on this issue for many years – and we expect this coming Saturday to be significantly bigger given the escalating attacks on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, across the occupied West Bank, through Israel itself and now in cruel, cowardly attacks on Gaza.

The focus of the protest will again be the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and their failure to offer more than pious words and ineffective platitudes in the face of horrendous war crimes.

The very least the government can do is reinforce its existing bipartisan policy – support for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.

We agree with the sentiments of Professor Robert Patman from Otago University on Television One News tonight when he said the government should act on United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 which was co-sponsored at the UN by the previous National government.

Resolution 2334 provides a framework for a lasting peace which can only come based on justice for Palestinians. Giving this policy real teeth – accountability for Israel – would be the most important step New Zealand could take to move the region forward in a positive direction.

We have written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister today along these lines.

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