JERUSALEM (AP) – After quickly starting its vaccination campaign, Israel announced on Tuesday that it had decided to share a small surplus of its coronavirus vaccines with several friendly countries.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to share vaccines with his diplomatic partners comes at a time when Israel is criticized internationally for failing to supply significant quantities to Palestinians. He also faced charges from a rival for acting unilaterally and wasting taxpayer funds.
The Netanyahu movement is the latest illustration of how coronavirus vaccines emerged as a kind of diplomatic currency, with countries that have medicines using their supplies for political gain.
Although Israel does not produce vaccines, Netanyahu has acted aggressively to secure enough vaccines for the 9.3 million Israelis in deals with Pfizer and Moderna. In less than two months, Israel vaccinated about half of its population, one of the highest per capita rates in the world, and aims to have virtually all adults fully vaccinated by the end of next month.
“Our supply is beyond what the citizens of Israel need,” Netanyahu told reporters on Tuesday. “We have more than enough to help where we can. It is mainly symbolic. “
Netanyahu’s office said some vaccines would be shared with the Palestinians. But he refused to identify any of the countries he planned to help.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan said the countries included Guatemala, Honduras, the Czech Republic and Hungary – nations that have given strong diplomatic support to Netanyahu’s tough government in recent years. The report states that the vaccines were purchased from Moderna.
In Prague, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that Israel was donating 5,000 doses to his country after a call for assistance. He said Modern vaccines would be given to 2,500 soldiers who assist in Czech hospitals.
In Honduras, President Juan Orlando Hernández tweeted about 5,000 shots from Israel. He said they will be reserved for health professionals.
An Israeli official confirmed business with Guatemala, Honduras and the Czech Republic. He said vaccines are a response to requests from friendly countries, not in exchange for diplomatic favors. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
Netanyahu’s main rival and government partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, sharply criticized the agreements, saying they were reached without any government deliberation.
“The fact that Netanyahu commercializes vaccines for Israeli citizens who were paid with their tax money without any responsibility shows that he thinks he is running a kingdom and not a state,” wrote Gantz on Twitter.
Israel’s generous vaccine supplies contrast sharply with the situation in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The vast disparities have drawn attention to the global inequality in the distribution of vaccines between rich and poor nations.
The World Health Organization has expressed concern about the huge gaps and human rights groups have said that Israel is responsible as an occupying force for the well-being of Palestinians in these areas. Israel says that, under interim peace agreements, it has no such responsibility. Israel vaccinated its own Arab population, including Palestinians in annexed East Jerusalem.
Israel this month delivered 2,000 doses of Modern vaccines to the Palestinian Authority for frontline medical workers in the West Bank, and has pledged to share a total of 5,000 doses.
On the other hand, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has so far received only 10,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. Meanwhile, a rival of Abbas has arranged to deliver an additional 20,000 doses of the Russian vaccine from the United Arab Emirates to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. .
Together, these doses are a small fraction of what Palestinians need. Abbas is waiting for larger amounts of a World Health Organization program for the poorest nations and other sources, but the exact delivery date is not clear.
Both Russia and China developed their own vaccines and used their supplies to exercise global influence.
Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had secretly agreed to pay Russia $ 1.2 million to provide Sputnik V vaccines to Syria in exchange for the freedom of a young Israeli woman who crossed the border into the enemy country.
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Marlon González in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, contributed reporting.