BICOM

What happened: Israel has stopped shipments of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries after Prime Minister Netanyahu was criticised by colleagues for not including them in the decision.

• Defence Minister Benny Gantz demanded the initiative be halted yesterday so that the Security Cabinet can review the plan and ensure it avoids damaging Israel’s security and foreign interests.
• In a letter to Netanyahu, Gantz said: “While supplying vaccines to medical personnel in the Palestinian Authority came following due process and in light of an evident medical imperative for Israel, supplying vaccines to other countries was never broached in relevant forums.”
• He added: “This is not the first time that significant defence and diplomatic decisions are being made behind the backs of the relevant bodies, while possibly damaging our national security, our foreign relations, and the rule of law. This is a pattern which impinges upon our ability to manage the country soundly in the most sensitive possible contexts.”
• The Prime Minister’s Office froze the initiative following a request by the Attorney General for clarification regarding the decision-making process after speaking to National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat. The Prime Minister’s Office added that a petition would be submitted to the High Court and has asked Attorney General Mandelblit for a legal opinion on the matter.

Context: On Wednesday Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he had ordered Israel to send up to 50,000 unused COVID-19 vaccines to other countries as a gesture of goodwill.

• He said “not a single vaccine” would be deducted from the citizens of Israel and the amount that was supposed to go to the countries “is only symbolic”. Both coronavirus manager Nachman Ash and Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy were consulted regarding the plan.
• The final list of countries has not be published, but it is reported to be 20 countries including Cyprus, Honduras, Hungary, Guatemala, the Czech Republic, Maldives, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Uganda and Guinea.
• Honduras announced yesterday that it received vaccines from Israel and the Czech Republic said Wednesday that it got 5,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
• Earlier this week it was reported that Israel sent a request to the PA and the Waqf asking to open a coronavirus vaccination station in the Temple Mount area for the thousands of Muslims who attend prayer every Friday in violation of COVID restrictions. The request was rejected due to concerns that it would give the government a presence in the al-Aqsa Mosque area, despite the request saying it would be administered by Israeli-Arabs paramedics in normal clothing.
• Last month, Israel agreed to give 5,000 vaccines to the West Bank for healthcare workers, following a recommendation from the Defence Ministry and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. Israel also delivered 10,000 Sputnik V vaccines to the PA in the West Bank, of which 2,000 were subsequently sent to Gaza.
• On Tuesday Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told his US counterpart that Israel is also considering vaccinating around 75,000 Palestinians who work in Israel.

Looking ahead: The Attorney General will review the legality of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to send vaccines to foreign countries.

• A delegation of senior officials from the Israeli Ministry of Health are working with the PA to try and deliver 100,000 vaccine doses to medical teams and people over the age of 60 in the West Bank.