Israel’s obscene mismanagement of the Covid-19 vaccine

by Kathryn Shihadah, reposted from If Americans Knew

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (who is up for re-election this spring) boasts, “We are vaccinating at 10 times the pace of the United States. No country has done what we are able to do.” He’s right.

Israel is so far ahead in the Covid vaccine game that the Israeli Health Ministry is making it available to all Israelis over 35 years of age – not just essential workers, healthcare providers, and high-risk individuals.

But most Palestinians under Israeli rule, regardless of age or risk, don’t qualify.

Compared to the US vaccination rate of about 6.2%, Israel has distributed initial doses of the vaccine to roughly 29% of its population, and second doses to nearly half (Israeli Palestinians – Muslim and Christian – appear to be receiving proportionately fewer vaccines than Israeli Jews). For a short time, Israel enjoyed celebrity status for having the “fastest rollout in the world.”

It wasn’t long before word got out that for the occupied Palestinian territories under Israeli control, the celebrated vaccine response was just another example of Israeli apartheid. Journalists and politicians chided Israel for its discriminatory policies – which in turn led to a wave of rebuttals against those who would dare to tarnish the good name of Israel. 

The facts speak for themselves.

Not willing to share

As the Financial Times reports, Israel has already received “planeloads” of vaccines, and more are due soon. By March, the state will have a surplus.

Next door, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has arranged with Russian suppliers and the World Health Organization (WHO) to get vaccines, but they are not expected to arrive anytime soon.

With a shortage of PPE, nearly 8,000 Palestinian medics have already been infected with Covid, hampering efforts to respond aggressively to the pandemic.

The PA requested from Israel just 10,000 doses to protect Palestinian frontline workers for now. Israel has refused, although the Fourth Geneva Convention requires the occupier to provide medical services to the occupied population, including “measures necessary to combat the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics.” [read full article here]