Sunday 30 November 2008

Revoke Shimon Peres's honorary doctorate from King's College

Sign the petition here

Shimon Peres, a former Israeli Head of State and a war criminal, was awarded an honorary doctorate, in a completely undemocratic fashion and without serious consultation, by King's College last week for his "efforts" to find a "peaceful solution to conflicts in the Middle East". But how can this be the case when:

• On 18 April 1996, he launched "Operation Grapes of Wrath" causing 400,000 Lebanese to flee their homes, almost 800 fleeing to a UN base in Qana, South Lebanon. 
• The Israeli army then shelled the UN shelter in Qana, killing 102 civilians, mainly women, children and the elderly. Many more were injured.
• Peres is responsible for building illegal colonies on occupied land and endorsing a policy of extra-judicial killings of Palestinians and other Arabs.
• He supported the siege on Gaza, the destruction of its airport, and the elaborate system of checkpoints all across the West Bank.
• He defends the regular demolition of Palestinian homes, and he justified the atrocities of the Israeli army in its recent war on Lebanon in 2006.

It is completely disgraceful that on the very day the "honour" was awarded, the UN human rights official described the blockade of Gaza as a deprivation of "basic human rights" - (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mi


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