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Yesterday, the 6th International Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) got underway. It runs from 1st to the 14th of March 2010 (am wondering why it isn’t Apartheid Fortnight?)

Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the 'Palestine solidarity calendar', but in the UK it often passes by without a mention.

Last year though more than 40 cities around the world participated in the week's activities, which took place in the wake of Israel's brutal assault against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. IAW continues to grow with new cities joining this year.

In London, most of the action takes place around universities. I see that my friend Ben White (a regular Guardian CIF contributor) is speaking at the LSE next Tuesday.

It has however been high profile enough to worry Zionists to the extent that they have set up a rival website: http://www.israeliapartheidweek.com/ which, needless to say, makes some wild claims such as that Israel is a "textbook example of a multicultural society." Their strapline is that Israel Apartheid Week is "a campaign against human rights".

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