‘Israel’ suspends transfer of vaccines to other countries
Israeli Prime Minister’s office has suspended the transfer of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries amid legal scrutiny.
The decision comes after Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit sent a letter to National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat asking for clarifications about the program, Israeli media reported.
1 / לשכת ראש הממשלה הקפיאה את המהלך להעברת חיסונים מהמאגר הישראלי למדינות זרות. הרקע להקפאה היא בקשה של היועץ המשפטי לממשלה לקבל הבהרות וכן דרישה של שר הביטחון בני גנץ ושר החוץ גבי אשכנזי להבהרות לגבי קבלת ההחלטות בנושא, כך אמרו לי פקידים ישראלים בכירים
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) February 25, 2021
Also, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene the Security Cabinet in order to discuss the prime minister’s decision to transfer vaccines from Israel’s stocks to foreign countries such as the Czech Republic and Honduras.
“Making such decisions without approval… raises concerns that it will harm Israel’s foreign relations and national security,” said Gantz.
“The supply of vaccines to these countries has never been discussed in the relevant forums. This is not the first time that significant security and policy decisions have been made behind the backs of the relevant authorities.”
מלאי החיסונים שלנו הוא נכס לאומי והודעתו של נתניהו, לפיה הצטברה כמות חיסונים ללא שימוש, היא שקרית. העברת חיסונים למדינות זרות לא קשורה לבריאות הציבור בישראל. זהו מהלך מדיני-ביטחוני, שמחייב דיונים בפורומים המתאימים.
— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) February 25, 2021
After demanding the initiative be halted, Gantz welcomed Netanyahu’s suspension of vaccine deliveries to other countries, saying “Netanyahu’s move was made in an undemocratic manner, bypassing the regulations.”
Gantz added, “If there is a reason to transfer vaccines to various countries at the expense of Israeli decisions, this will only be decided in the relevant forums. Making decisions in the dark raises concerns of harming the state’s foreign relations and security.”
מברך על ההחלטה להקפיא את העברת החיסונים למדינות אחרות. המהלך של נתניהו נעשה באופן לא דמוקרטי, תוך עקיפת הנהלים. אם יש סיבה להעברת חיסונים למדינות שונות על חשבון אזרחי ישראל- זה יוחלט אך ורק בפורומים המתאימים. קבלת ההחלטות במחשכים, מעלה חשש לפגיעה ביחסי החוץ ובביטחון המדינה.
— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) February 25, 2021
Netanyahu said yesterday he personally approved the vaccine shipments “in return for things we already received,” without further elaborating. The premier also didn’t say which countries are getting doses, but one of them was reported to be Mauritania.
Honduras announced earlier today that it received vaccines from ‘Israel’ and the Czech Republic said Tuesday that it got 5,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Aterriza avión en Tegucigalpa con el lote de vacunas contra la Covid-19 donadas por el gobierno de Israel, para ser aplicadas a nuestro personal de primera línea. ¡Ánimo Honduras! pic.twitter.com/nZpAQrGOSr
— Juan Orlando H. (@JuanOrlandoH) February 25, 2021
This also may come after ‘Israel’ faced a wide criticism following its decision to send thousands of spare coronavirus vaccines to other countries while Palestinians are still waiting.
It is a war crime for #Israel to refuse to vaccinate Palestinians in the territories that it is occupying. Citizen or not, Israel controls Gaza, West Bank and Golan Heights and is responsible for the well-being of the residents.
It is shameful, and…1/7https://t.co/NDxk93fCqN
— Jason Kishineff 🌍 🇺🇸 🌹✌️🌻🌺 (@kishineff) February 24, 2021
it's a real shame that the country that gives israel nearly $4B in military aid every year is unable to use that as leverage in this situation. something must be really wrong with that country https://t.co/QWj7qAHK4e
— noah kulwin (@nkulw) February 25, 2021
Israel must provide vaccines to Palestinians in the occupied territories.
As a son of the Jewish diaspora, w/family who lived & worked in Israel and see it as a beloved homeland, this denial of care is profoundly disappointing, and only feeds the notion of an apartheid regime. https://t.co/2TGjyUd6qP
— Mike Siegel (@SiegelForTexas) February 25, 2021
Earlier today, US Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the Israeli occupation government for sending COVID-19 vaccines to foreign allies before sending vaccines to Palestinians.
Sanders was responding to a New York Times tweet stating that “Israel’s vaccine donations to faraway countries have angered Palestinians who say Israel is responsible for the well-being of Palestinians in the occupied territories, where vaccines are scarce.”
“As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the health of all the people under its control. It is outrageous that Netanyahu would use spare vaccines to reward his foreign allies while so many Palestinians in the occupied territories are still waiting,” Sanders tweeted.
As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the health of all the people under its control. It is outrageous that Netanyahu would use spare vaccines to reward his foreign allies while so many Palestinians in the occupied territories are still waiting. https://t.co/kx4qFPtRQl
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 24, 2021
