Israel's cabinet passes controversial draft bill, while a child dies in Gaza due to the ongoing siege. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

A Palestinian infant was reported dead on Monday afternoon after he was unable to leave the Gaza Strip for the life saving medical treatment he needed.

One year old, Mohamed Nufal, had hart failure; he needed medical care that Gaza hospitals were unable to provide him with because of the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza. Israel started its siege on Gaza in June 2007. With Nufal's death, the death toll due to the Israeli siege now reaches 337, doctors in Gaza reported.

Elsewhere at lest eight civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli military on Monday during pre-dawn invasions targeting different West Bank communities. The invasions were reported in the cities of Nablus, Qalqilia, Hebron and Ramallah. The army radio announced that all kidnapped were taken to military detention camps for questioning.

The Israeli cabinet ministers approved on Sunday a draft law banning the commemoration of the Nakba, the Arab word for catastrophe. Palestinians mark Nakba every year on the 15th of May as this is the day when Israel was created after hundreds of Palestinians were killed and the majority of the people living in that territory lost their homes and became refugees.

The draft law will be submitted for Israeli parliamentary approval next week. If this law will pass people can face prison sentences up to three years. Dr. Jamal Zahalka, an Arab member of the Israeli Parliament says this law shows the real face of Israel.



"This is a stupid, racist and very rude law that is unprecedented in the world. This law will control the feelings of people. It’s a rude law in particular because Israel has expelled our people and destroyed our villages, and now they want to steal our cry of pain."

The draft bill was brought forward at the instigation of the radical ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party of Avigdor Lieberman, now Israel's foreign minister. During the Israeli elections of 2009, Yisrael Beitenu, now holding 15 of the 120 seats in parliament, targeted Israel's Arab minority during the election campaign, adopting the slogan "No Citizenship without Loyalty".

At the same time Lieberman's party has put forward controversial draft legislation to the ministerial committee. The proposal calls for an amendment to the Citizenship Law. It states that people who refuse to declare willingness to serve in the army or perform alternative service will not be entitled to Israeli citizenship, as Yisrael Beiteinu also put forward in its election slogan.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Kathrin Orwell and Ghassan Bannoura.