SHIMMON THEN IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HARD ENOUGH

Israeli President Shimon Peres was forced to face his conscience as he arrived at Chatham House, London, during his UK visit on Wednesday (30th). A 100-strong crowd of Palestine Solidarity campaigners staged a noisy protest outside, demanding that Peres should be prosecuted as a war criminal. The Israeli premier was there to speak at an event with William Hague on “60 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Britain” (which perhaps should have been titled “60 years of mutual blind eye-turning”?).

Peres’ visit coincided with more news on the illegal settler takeover of Jerusalem and attempted ethnic cleansing in the Jordan Valley. The number of house demolitions in the West Bank have doubled since the beginning of the year, with the village of Silwan the most heavily targeted in recent weeks. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces have become heated in the area, with reports that soldiers fired tear gas and rubber bullets indiscriminately in the village on the 26th - a day after dawn raids saw 9 locals arrested. Children in Silwan have also been victim of a policy of Israeli police to target, arrest, detain and interrogate them.

Reports from the ground from Brighton activists in the Jordan Valley can be found at: http://www.brightonpalestine.org/2011/