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David Harris Oped featured in
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Dear John,
Sometimes no matter what Israel achieves, those who are wedded to
endless, relentless criticisms are poised to attack. That's the
case now as Israel seeks to vaccinate all its citizens in record time.
AJC CEO David Harris, in this piece published in The Times of Israel,
takes on the journalists, members of Congress, and others who are
propagating falsehoods about Israel's responsibility for
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza accessing vaccines.
Best wishes,
Kenneth Bandler
AJC Director of Media Relations
Israel, Palestinians, and COVID vaccines: A reality check
The Times of Israel
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By David Harris
January 26, 2021
It seemed too good to be true.
Finally, there was a story about Israel - the world leader in
vaccinating its entire population, in all its rich diversity, against
COVID - that the media might present in positive terms.
Indeed, Israel was ahead by a long shot, compared to the U.S. and
Europe, and showed just how organized, efficient, and responsive the
country could actually be when the stakes were so high for everyone.
But, alas, it wasn't long before the critics surfaced, some with
harsh attacks that accused Israel of deliberately neglecting
vaccinations for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. The
implication, and often the downright accusation, was that Israel was
impervious to the health of Palestinians, perhaps even contributing to
the spread of the virus itself.
Here are just three glaring examples.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan called Israel a "racist
state" that was denying vaccinations to Palestinians like her
grandmother, who lives in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, freshman Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York referred to
Israel's "cruelty" in failing to offer the vaccine
to Palestinians.
And The Guardian chose this toxic headline: "Palestinians
excluded from Israeli COVID vaccine rollout as jabs go to
settlers."
Were these assaults another way for the critics to divert an amazing
Israeli response - and, yes, the publicity it might generate
- into one more alleged human-rights charge that would garner
attention and register automatically with certain individuals, NGOs,
and countries?
Saddest of all is the critics have largely chosen to ignore
what's actually going on. But that would entail acknowledging
that facts do matter.
The Palestinians, under the 1993 Oslo Accords, assumed responsibility
for health. They set up their own health ministries in what is today
the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank and Hamas-controlled
Gaza.
Moreover, Palestinian leaders opted to develop their own responses to
COVID vaccination rollouts, working with the World Health
Organization, various governments, including Russia, and several
pharmaceutical companies. They said so publicly.
And, in doing so, they rejected Israeli overtures for cooperation,
including when vaccines were actually being ordered by Israel. After
all, especially given the close proximity of the areas, and the
frequent human interaction, it is absolutely in Israel's
interest for the Palestinians to move ahead as swiftly as possible on
the vaccination front.
But let's remember that when the United Arab Emirates wished to
send COVID-related medical equipment to the Palestinian Authority, it
was turned down because the shipment from Abu Dhabi was sent via
Israel. Tellingly, and not for the first time, hatred of Israel
outweighed securing needed health items.
And when, more recently, an Israeli official was questioned by
CNN's Christiane Amanpour on the subject of Israel's role,
he raised the quite reasonable suggestion that perhaps the Palestinian
Authority could devote more of its funds to the medical response and
less to funding terrorists in Israeli jails and their families -
an estimated $300+ million annually, or eight percent of the
Palestinian Authority's total budget. The veteran journalist
snickered and replied that terror and vaccines were "separate
issues."
Really? Why are they separate? If the Palestinians are going to claim
a shortage of funds, which they do from time to time when it serves
their purposes, then don't their spending priorities merit
scrutiny?
Or, in the ultimate condescension, is all agency removed from the
Palestinians, as if they can't be held responsible for their
choices? Otherwise, heaven forbid, the conflict becomes more
complicated and all blame can't so conveniently be assigned to
one side - the Israeli side.
The Palestinian Authority made choices. They cut off cooperation with
Israel. They decided, consistent with past health practices, to handle
the vaccination rollout on their own. They moved ahead to contract
vaccines from Moscow and elsewhere. Those vaccine deliveries have
their own timetable.
In this case, Israel made choices that turned out to be more timely.
Should it be faulted for doing so? By the way, the Palestinians
aren't the only ones in the world waiting impatiently for
deliveries. So are many, many countries.
All that said, Israel has repeated its offer of cooperation, has
quietly shared some doses of its vaccine supply with the Palestinian
Authority and has opened its hospitals to Palestinian COVID victims.
And speaking of Israeli hospitals, it's important, despite the
slanderous assertions against Israel, to see the larger framework of
how those hospitals operate.
Two quick stories.
During fighting triggered by deadly Hamas missile attacks on Israel, I
visited Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, not far from the border
with Gaza. There I saw wounded Hamas terrorists, whose stated goal is
Israel's annihilation, getting the exact same top-quality care
as Israeli victims of those attacks. Actually, I would have expected
nothing less from Israel.
And I will never forget being in Rambam Hospital, in Haifa, during
missile attacks from Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon. The hospital
staff, itself a remarkable reflection of Israel's pluralism, was
going back and forth to the bomb shelters every few minutes. In
between, they were caring for each patient equally - Jew, Muslim,
Christian, Druze, Israeli, Arab.
Meanwhile, the researchers were using every available minute in the
labs to extend their work in seeking cures for cancer, diabetes, and
other diseases that would benefit all humanity, starting in the larger
Middle East.
These are the stories from Israel that rarely get told. They present a
compassionate, humanistic side of Israel, which is real, widespread,
and ongoing in Israeli medical care and public health.
There's much good to learn from Israel's example.
Unfortunately, it would never be even remotely obvious following
certain newspapers, some Twitter accounts, or watching a few noted
television reporters.
David Harris is the CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC). Please
join 78,300 others and follow him on Twitter @DavidHarrisAJC.
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