Once again, Israel is being demonised with the usual apartheid slights, this time relating to the COVID-19 vaccine and the country’s success first in obtaining the drugs timeously, and second, in distributing it almost to the entire population.
Some newspapers and the head of the United Nations Human Rights Council find reason to condemn something positive – no anything positive – from Israel or a Jew. Another well publicised fact was that the scientific results of Israel’s efficient vaccination programme would be shared with the manufacturers of the drugs, something vitally important in measuring if such a programme will reduce the rapid infection rate, which will be of invaluable benefit to the rest of the world.
The fact that the vaccine was offered to the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been widely published but ignored by those intent on finding fault and maligning anything from Israel.
It must be the first duty of Israel to immunise its own population, including its Palestinian citizens comprising more than 20% of the population. Clearly it’s not Israel’s responsibility to provide Palestine with the drug. Most civic functions including healthcare fall under the PA in terms of the Oslo Accord, but this is ignored by Israel’s critics.
Why is it Israel’s responsibility to look after its neighbours but not that of wealthy European states, who managed to monopolise sufficient supplies of the vaccine, to look after poorer African countries? Double standards abound when Israel is doing good. Just how obvious are these vicious attacks of blatant racism and hatred of Jews when it’s common knowledge that the chief executive of Pfizer is a Jew, the chief executive of Moderna is a Jew from Israel, and the actual developer of the vaccine is also a Jew? These hate filled people can’t do anything but perpetuate antisemitism in whatever form they see fit.
