“Hamas Just Needs To Surrender” means “We’ll Kill Kids Until We Get What We Want” Protest

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Join the next National day of action for Palestine where the world demands:
* An immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza
* Hands off Rafah
* End the Genocide in Gaza
* End the Apartheid in Palestine
* End the Occupation
* All out for Palestine

DID YOU KNOW?????  Aotearoa has a Working Holiday Visa scheme for Young Israelis.
 
There is an allowance of 200 working holiday visas issues to Israelis.
 
Many come soon after they have finished their time in the Israeli Military enforcing an Illegal Occupation, protecting an Illegal Apartheid regime and committing Genocide in Gaza since 1948.
 
All three are Crimes against Humanity.
 
Yet after more than 85 years, NZ has not shut down access to New Zealand for many young war criminals.

Most of our NZ Palestinian community have now lost family members, some have lost so many. My family is currently surviving on half a piece of bread and half a glass of water every two days. Hepatitis is spreading through the church where they have been sheltering since last October. Innocent Palestinian children, women and men are still being killed in unprecedented numbers by military operations, settler violence, starvation, dehydration, and disease at the hands of the state of Israel. 

South Africa brought a case against Israel in the ICJ in January for committing suspected genocide. Now, a further appeal has been made against Israel for failing to implement previous ICJ measures. Israel is in breach of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, for war crimes, and for creating horrific conditions leading to famine and death. 

For the first time, New Zealanders are witnessing the graphic horror of a genocide in real time on television and social media. The images and videos are traumatic and disturbing. No person should suffer such brutality, torture, and violence. What we are witnessing is truly inhumane. It is heart breaking to see Israel preventing lifesaving medical support and aid from getting through the crossings to innocent children and families.

Palestinians are being ethnically cleansed.

The current New Zealand Government has done very little to support Palestinians in Gaza and here in New Zealand. It has not taken any measures to fulfil its obligations to prevent Israel’s genocide. Nothing has been done of any substance nor any measures of consequence taken. 

It has granted no humanitarian visas to Palestinians, despite having supported the immigration needs of other countries. And it has done nothing to support a traumatised community or in response to Israel ignoring New Zealand’s concerns about the humanitarian crisis. Israel has been given over 174 temporary visitor visas; 45 are already in the country and 80 are being processed. Palestine has only been given 25 visitor visas and only 7 have arrived in NZ while 19 are being processed. The Government’s approach has been passive and inadequate and has shown double standards. 

It is shameful for all New Zealanders that this Government is tarnishing and dishonouring the country’s historical reputation of being principled, fair, and independent in its foreign policy. We demand that this Government fulfils its obligations and does everything it can to save the Palestinian people from the atrocities being inflicted on them by Israel, to prevent genocide, and to seek a permanent ceasefire.

And so now the time has come to hand in the petition!  You are all invited to join me on the steps of Parliament in Wellington on Thursday 28th March at 1 p.m to formally hand the petition over.

We will have representatives from political parties, the wider community, and I am joining the wonderful Gaza ceasefire pilgrimage that has been taking place around the world. Starting early Thursday morning (5.30 am), alongside Christian, Jewish, and Muslim brothers and sisters, we will walk the length of Gaza - from Upper Hutt to Parliament - to map Gaza onto our own city with our steps, while calling for a ceasefire, aid, and visas. We will be walking just over 41 km start to finish, beginning at Taitā rock in Lower Hutt (on the Hutt River Trail), stopping at Parliament to hand over the petition, and ending at Kilbirnie Mosque. You are all most welcome to join us as well, either some of the way or all. 
https://actionnetwork.org/events/gaza-ceasefire-pilgrimage-wellington?source=direct_link&

At Parliament we will be gifting an Olive tree to the Green Party to plant in commemoration of those souls we have lost, and to represent the environmental destruction that has been caused in Gaza, which we hope will flourish again in a free Palestine. From 12.30 pm you will have the opportunity to write a message and hang it on the tree before it is handed over.

A special flag has been created by Sonny Nathan, combining both the Māori and Palestinian flags, that will also be gifted to the Māori party for their support. The Labour party will then receive the petition.

We are hoping to have a choir there or some music, so if you are musically connected, please get in touch with me. We would love to have beautiful music to enjoy and to help us heal. 

All my best wishes, Katrina