Israel faces a moral, strategic, epidemiological, and diplomatic imperative to help Palestinians achieve rapid COVID vaccination in the occupied territories. So far, the story is a huge Israeli failure on each of these fronts. (1/n)
COVID is a looming public health disaster in Palestinian areas. As the party w/military control, Israel has a legal+moral responsibility to ensure that people are vaccinated. This is separate+apart from the many other historic+security differences between the two peoples. (2/n)
From an epidemiological and economic perspective, it is ridiculous to believe that Israel would avoid serious harms if COVID is allowed to spread rapidly in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel's impressive vaccination of Jewish+non-Jewish Israelis won't forestall these harms. (3/n)
From a coldly strategic perspective, this has been a giant and obvious missed opportunity for an Israeli diplomatic/public relations layup. Palestinians will always remember who was there, and who wasn't there for them when the pandemic struck. So will everyone else. (4/n)
When I was a kid, a standard argument I heard in Jewish youth groups+elsewhere was that Israeli occupation authorities promoted the health of Palestinians under occupation. I remember a speaker in college joking that Ariel Sharon should be called the Surgeon General. (5/n)
There was always much wrong with these arguments. But there was an implicit promise and claim there, too--an acknowledgement of legal and humanitarian obligation, and a realization that there is much Israel can do. Now is a moment to honor these obligations. (6/n)
I hope America intervenes. The Biden administration has a huge opportunity, too. We can save lives. Helping people in their hour of vulnerability and need is always a good idea. Palestinians will remember what we do--or don't do--as well. (7/7)
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