commentary >> Editor
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Instead, Israel is still portrayed as the “occupying power,” as if the Palestinians have no control over their lives. Well, the argument goes, if Israel isn’t obligated legally to immunize the Palestinians, why not take up the moral obligation? So, Israel, which is condemned as a supposed occupying power, is supposed to waltz into the territories and take over that responsibility, and everyone will applaud? And how is Israel supposed to do that in Gaza, where they will be instant targets by a Hamas leadership that wants all of them dead? If the Palestinian leadership really cared about coordinating with Israel for a better Covid vaccination response, they just have to say so. But for the Palestinian leadership — and the same activist groups castigating Israel over vaccines — any such effort smacks of “normalization” with the idea of Israel’s existence, and is therefore forbidden. Boycott Israel, but then complain that Israel isn’t doing enough. Israel has sent teams to numerous African countries to help coordinate logistics that will enable a smooth rollout of vaccination. The Palestinian leaders could have that if they wanted it. But they don’t — and once again, their people suffer for it while those with connections managed to get their vaccinations. The idea that Israel wants to stand in the way of Palestinians getting vaccinated is absurd. Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem who are inside Israel and have legal residency instead of citizenship have been vaccinated in the same manner as any Israeli. Israeli Arab villages have the same access to the vaccine. If Israel’s goal was to not vaccinate Palestinians, then why was Israel vaccinating Palestinian prisoners — many of whom committed acts of terrorism against Israeli civilians — at a rate faster than the population at large? When Israel saw crowds of 10,000 mainly Palestinian Muslims congregating at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem on Fridays, Israel offered to set up immunization stations for them. The Palestinian Authority refused, figuring that if they allowed the vaccination stations, it would be a signal that they accept Israel’s presence in Jerusalem. So much for cooperating during a pandemic for the sake of humanity. Israel then offered to have the immunizations given by Arabs who would not be wearing anything identifying them as connected with Israel. That, too, was deemed unacceptable. As this issue goes to press, while there is March 2021 • Southern Jewish Life
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