Australia

There have been urgent calls from the Palestinian community in New Zealand for filmmakers and the public to boycott the film festival until it refuses the support of the Israeli Embassy.

Activists staged a “guerilla projection” in Wellington on Monday, after the New Zealand capital’s mayor banned a planned illumination of a prominent building in the Palestinian colors.

New Zealand Government must act now to implement sanctions for Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and disregard for the human rights of Palestinians.

Nasser Mashni's racial discrimination complaint accuses the federal government of taking an "Israel-centric" position in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian advocates in Australia have called on the federal government not to ignore an international report accusing Israel of committing apartheid and have expressed deep disappointment with the Prime Minister's comments that "no country is perfect".

The festival, which wraps up on Sunday, has endured weeks of negative publicity and withdrawals by dozens of acts including comedians Judith Lucy and Nazeem Hussain as well as TV personality Yumi Stynes and Indigenous theatre troupe Marrugeku.

The escalating boycott of Sydney Festival over a grant from the Israeli embassy has disrupted more than 20 shows and events, including cancellations, withdrawals from the program and cast changes.

A coalition of pro-Palestinian artists and others have withdrawn their participation from the 2022 Sydney Festival, and are calling for a boycott of the event over its ties to Israel.

The Australian government claimed the group poses a "real" and "credible" threat to country.

In a media release from Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, the marches – that took place all over New Zealand – mark Nakba Day.

Revelations that foreign affairs officials have approved the sale of military equipment to a host of human-rights-abusing countries, including Israel, is an outrage.