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Welcome to Palestine Today a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org for Wednesday, July 14, 2010.
Israeli Knesset revokes privileges of Arab MK and East Jerusalem legislator faces exile or prison, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Israeli Knesset has voted to strip Arab MK Hanin Zoabi of certain parliamentary privileges because of her participation in the May 31st Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The Israeli navy attacked the ships in international waters and killed nine activists.
Thirty-four members of Knesset voted for stripping the Arab MK of her privileges while sixteen MK’s voted against the move.
The three privileges taken from her are the right to leave the country, her diplomatic passport, and litigation fees if she faces trial.
“I didn’t expect anything different, a state that imposes a criminal siege on 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, deprives them from their basic rights, would not hesitate in revoking parliamentary privileges of elected officials”, Zoabi said, “but this is a new and a serious precedent in the way Israel deals with the Arabs and their legitimate leadership, this falls under Israel’s ongoing prosecution of elected Arab leaders and officials”.
Israel considers any attempt to break its illegal siege on more than 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza as an act that harms its security and as an act that shows support to the Hamas movement.
Palestinian legislator Mohammad Abu Tir faces exile from his home city of Jerusalem or more prison time.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court delivered a ruling Tuesday compelling Abu Tir to vacate his residence by the beginning of next week in the city or face a jail sentence.
He was released from jail in May after having spent four years in a jail cell as Israel’s reprisal measure after Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas near Gaza in 2006.
He has not indicated that he will adhere to the Court’s ruling.
In Gaza, the village of Juhr ad-Deek was shelled by the Israeli army Tuesday night.
They fired at a number of houses and killed one woman while injuring five others.
Israeli occupation authorities demolished six structures in East Jerusalem, among them Palestinian homes.
These are the first homes to be demolished since the settlement construction freeze at the end of last year. They also come just a week after Israeli Prime Minister and Barack Obama called for the resumption of direct talks in the peace process.
Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem, you have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, for constant update, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Brian Ennis.
