Vaccine cooperation

n Friday, Israel delivered a first shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to the Palestinian authority.

100,000 doses were transferred via the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) within hours of an announcement by the new Israeli government that an agreement had been reached with Ramallah under which Israel will supply up to 1.4 million doses of the vaccine immediately to the PA.

Under the deal, in September or October, when the doses purchased from Pfizer by the PA are expected to arrive, the same number of doses would be returned to Israel.

The advantages of the deal are clear: A large number of Palestinians will be vaccinated months earlier than planned, thereby helping to reduce the infection rate in the Palestinian territories.

“Coronavirus does not recognize borders or differentiate between nations,” Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said. “This important move is in the interest of all sides. I hope and believe this move will promote cooperation between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors in other areas, as well.”

Palestinian Health Minister Mai A-Kaila thanked Horowitz for the cooperation, the Israeli Health Ministry said.

“Coordination with Israel on the topic of coronavirus has been excellent, and I hope the ties between us will grow closer, certainly in the areas of health and human rights,” she said, according to the ministry.

Sounds nice, right? It was, until the PA decided late Friday to cancel the deal – for all the wrong reasons. Firstly the Palestinians claimed that the vaccines were expiring soon and therefore, it did not want them. This was a strange claim since the expiration date was known during the negotiations and was the reason behind the deal – Israel wouldn’t be able to use all one million by the expiration date, while the PA would.

The second excuse for the cancellation was a reported Israeli demand that the vaccines be used in the West Bank and not the Gaza Strip. While the PA does not have any control over Gaza, it likes to pretend that it is the official leadership over the entire Palestinian people. Not being allowed to transfer some of the vaccines to Gaza would undermine that public perception and status.

We hope that Israel and the PA resolve their differences on the issue. Seeing neighboring peoples vaccinated is in the interest of nations – especially when there are open borders, but also when there are not. Israel, for example, has a clear interest in seeing Palestinians in Gaza get vaccinated since a massive outbreak of COVID-19 in the coastal enclave, where respirators are scarce, would see international pressure and blame mount on Israel.

The Palestinians also have a clear interest. The vaccines the PA purchased from Pfizer will not arrive before the end of the year. By then, it is possible that another wave of the virus will spread throughout the territories, ravaging communities and businesses. Getting vaccines earlier means being better prepared for what is to come.

The importance of resolving the disagreement over the vaccine deal is that it could also lead to additional cooperation between Israel and the PA. For too long, the sides have been in a disconnect, with talks almost nonexistent.

That needs to come to an end. While the new government in Israel will not be able to agree on a final status agreement or the formation of an independent Palestinian state, there is a lot that can be done to create better conditions on the ground for the day when a political agreement will be possible.

Just like it is in Israel’s interest to see more Palestinians get vaccinated, it is also in Israel’s interest to see the quality of life improve in the West Bank and Gaza and for there to be greater economic prosperity among the Palestinian people.

This can be done by building joint industrial zones, creating employment opportunities, upgrading roads and other infrastructure and helping to facilitate more exchange of ideas and technology to better both sides and peoples.

Whether the sides want it or not, what happens to one impacts the other. This is true with the coronavirus and the vaccines – and this is also true when it comes to both economies. Working together will help all: Israelis and Palestinians.