Medical Apartheid 1-5-2021

 

5, January 2001                             Medical Apartheid

Israel has vaccinated more than 14% of its population so far, faster than any country in the world. Despite the record rollout, human rights groups are expressing outrage over Israel’s refusal to vaccinate Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, where about 1,500 people have already died during the pandemic. As an occupying power, Israel decision is in clear violation of international law.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a physician, and a member of the Palestinian Parliament and head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society was extremely critical of Israel’s skewed rollout.

He accused Israel’s apartheid system of committing serious crimes vaccinating 750,000 thousand illegal settlers while ignoring more than 3.1 million Palestinians. To add insult to injury, vaccines are being offered to Israeli criminal prisoners and their guards while 5,000 Palestinian prisoners left unprotected.

 Israel refused the Palestinian Authority’s requests for vaccines and prevented their importation.

The situation for Gaza 2.1 million Palestinians is dire. They lack basic health facilities and will not be receiving any vaccines.  70% of them are refugees displaced from their land in 1948. With chronic overcrowding, social distancing is impossible. Even masks are in chronic short supply.

Physicians for Human Rights recently said, “Israel bears moral and humanitarian responsibility for vaccinating the Palestinian population under its control.”  Israel is, however, offering vaccines to Jewish settlers living in the illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Israel has so far been relying on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which needs to be stored at minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit which would be impossible in Gaza, where residents often go 12 or more hours a day without electricity. In 2014, Israel bombed Gaza’s only power plant in what Amnesty International severely condemned as “collective punishment.”  .

The infection rate confirms our worst fears. In the West Bank and Gaza it is 36%, while in Israel it’s 4.5%.

The current apartheid policy is short-sighed. It must include Palestinians in its vaccination program to achieve herd immunity. But Prime Minister Netanyahu, in a desperate attempt to ward of criminal charges, is pushing medical apartheid to appease right-wing voters.

But in reality, what his government is doing is actually hurting the Israelis. If the government pursues these goals it WILL NOT achieve herd immunity.  Large numbers of Palestinians who go to Israel to work will become super spreaders. This is a monstrous crime against the Palestinians and the health of Israeli and a gross violation of medical ethics which begs the question why is the US government diverting $billions of our taxpayer money to prop a rabid apartheid government?

Physicians for Human Rights recently said, quote, “Israel bears moral and humanitarian responsibility for vaccinating the Palestinian population under its control.”  Israel is, however, offering vaccines to Jewish settlers living in the illegal settlements in the West Bank.

 

 

ACTION ITEMS

If you agree with the contents & have the time please send the following tweets:

@berniesanders Israel continues se to misuse $billions of US aid to pursue its insidious apartheid policies. As a champion of human rights, I ask you demand the cessation of all US aid to Israel. Finally, kindly demand ALL Palestinians are included in Israel’s vaccination program

 

Ditto for all important lawmakers @JoeBiden, @KamalaHarris etc