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Welcome to Palestine Today a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org for Monday July 11th , 2011.
The Israeli Knesset is Monday set to vote on a bill that will make illegal the boycott of Israeli goods, including Israeli settlement goods, in the state of Israel. The “Boycott Bill” is due to undergo a second and third vote Monday which would see it passed into law. The bill has been subject to huge opposition both within Israeli and Palestinian society as undermining free speech, giving immunity to Israeli settlements and leading Israel further down the road of apartheid. The PLO’s secretary general Yasser Abd Ramu has stated that the bill makes Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Palestinians demand an end to as part of peace talks, as “sacred cows”.
Israeli troops invaded, on Sunday evening, the Al Esawiyya town, in occupied Easy Jerusalem, and clashed with local youths who hurled stones and empty bottles at them. The army also used its under-cover forces in attacking the residents, and controlling the town. Soldiers fired gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets leading to several injuries, medical sources in Jerusalem reported.
Military correspondent of Israel’s TV Channel 2, Roni Daniel, reported Sunday that Libyan envoys, representing president Moammar Qaddafi, arrived in Israel several days ago in order to hold a meeting with Kadima opposition party head, Tzipi Livni. The envoys were officially invited by Livni and got their visas from the Israeli embassy in Paris, the Arabs48 news website reported. Other media have reported that the Libyan representatives held discussions on opening a Libyan embassy in Tel Aviv, and met Jewish Libyans in Jerusalem.
The Canadian Freedom Flotilla 2 ship the Tahrir has withdrawn from the flotilla leaving only two remaining ships in the convoy hoping to break the Israeli siege on Gaza. The ship withdrew on Monday after it was asked to present further documentation not previously requested by the Greek authorities. Activists have been forced to return to families and jobs in recent days as the financial drain due to the delay set in. The two remaining ships, the Greek/Norwegian/Swedish “Juliano”, and the French “Dignity”, still hope to sail to Gaza.
A row over maritime borders has erupted between Lebanon and Israel following a naval exploration by Israeli forces looking to exploit natural gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Lebanon claims the maritime borders set by Israel to be submitted to the UN impinge on its territorial boundaries. Israel and Lebanon remain technically at war and have agreed upon boundaries.
That rounds up the main news for today. Please join us again tomorrow for a summary of important events in the Palestinian Territories. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center. For more updates please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Husam Qassis and me kavin murphy
