The Truth About Israel’s ‘Vaccine Apartheid’
By Tamar Klajman, 2020–2021 CAMERA Fellow at University College London
A recent Lawyers Without Borders blogpost on UCL Reflect supports allegations of “vaccine apartheid” against Israel, claiming that Israel has a legal obligation to vaccinate Palestinian citizens in Gaza and the West Bank. At the time of writing this article, requests for the right of reply have all been ignored.
After the 1967 war, Israel was left in control of the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli disengagement from Gaza occurred in 2005, and subsequently it has fallen under the control of the Islamist group Hamas — an organisation that some, including the U.S. and the EU, define as a terrorist organisation. In 1993, the Oslo Accords were signed, transferring many civil responsibilities in the West Bank (including health) to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Although Jews and Arabs are afforded complete legal equality within Israel, the country is frequently libeled as an “apartheid” state.
In addition to being factually inaccurate, such claims are destructive and counterproductive. Claims that Israel is legally responsible for the medical welfare of Palestinian citizens in the West Bank and Gaza delegitimize the PA’s rule whilst forcing Israel on the defensive. In my opinion, this renders meaningful improvements much more difficult to achieve.
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