Hi everybody! Im Joshua Alach, one of the members of the new executive that was voted in at our recent AGM. It is an honour to represent this organisation. Ill briefly introduce you to the new executive: Co-Presidents: Joe Clifford and Ashna Siraj Executive Secretary: Joshua Alach Treasurer: Mariam Khmaladze First of all I would like to extend a thank you to everyone that turned up to the protests on Friday and Saturday. It was great to see so many passionate people take time out of their busy schedules to support the cause. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the protests on Saturday as part of the National Day of Action were misrepresented by the media. This was made easier for them by the presence of certain troublesome individuals who were clearly not welcome at the protest. In response, the SJP Executive is currently preparing formal complaints to be sent in to 3 News and One News, complaining about breaches to articles 4, 5 and 6 of the Broadcasting Standards Authoritys standards for broadcasters. Some of these standards were enshrined in law by the Broadcasting Act of 1989. Once we send these complaints in and receive a response (the broadcasters must respond within 20 working days), we will notify you all of the response and whether further action will be taken. I would also like to make a point regarding the image of our group. Obviously, as social justice activists, our views are often not the mainstream default view expressed by many. This is largely due to a vilification of the Palestine solidarity movement. It is of absolute importance to prevent miscommunication or negative association. For instance, one individual (who appeared to be working as an individual agent, without association with PSN) who was at the protest on Saturday, was passing around a flyer which promoted violence and destruction as the means to liberate Palestine. This flyer also implied ethnic cleansing of the Israel/Palestine area, or at very least the revocation of Jewish national rights. WE DO NOT SUPPORT SUCH VIEWS. SJP does not support violence. We are a peaceful civil rights group. Anti-Semitic comments or promotion of militaristic solutions are not acceptable, and any such posts will be removed from this page. We support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement as the most effective and ethically-unassailable means of getting the Israeli authorities to remove the system of apartheid they have established to marginalise the Palestinian Arab population. This includes the withdrawal of NZ Superfund investments in companies such as Boeing, General Dynamics and Israel Chemicals (which produces white phosphorus, a smoke-screen agent that causes severe burns and has been used as a weapon against civilians. It is illegal under the Geneva Convention). Our cause is kept on the social fringe due to persistent efforts by factions which support the excesses of the IDF and the Likud Partys policies to portray us and other groups in the Palestine Solidarity Network as hate groups. It is of absolutely crucial importance that they are not given any opportunities to do so. As such, whilst we obviously cannot control what other groups or individuals do, SJP does not accept the use of swastikas in signs at all. Whilst we understand that often their use is not an endorsement of Nazism or anti-Semitism, but a comparison made between the actions of the Nazis and the State of Israel, it is over-inflammatory, not conductive to dialogue and WILL BE intentionally or unintentionally misconstrued. There are more effective means to get a message across than that form of shock value. It is also ridiculous to think that Israeli Jews would ever accept a comparison with a group that sought their destruction. It is very offensive and also unnecessary. In the same vein, although I dont believe this has even been an issue, holocaust-denial will not be accepted. Also, please make clear distinctions in any posts between those that support the actions of the IDF and the Israeli government and Jews in general. Obviously not all Jews support Israel, and many Jews support the Palestine solidarity movement. Biased report from 3 News: 3news.co.nz/NZ-protesters-call-to-cut-ties-with-Israel/tabid/1607/articleID/357140/Default.aspx ^That article is the main focus of our formal complaint.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 07:39:25 +0000
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