By: Aryeh Savir
The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to claim in diplomatic forums that Israel is hindering its efforts to stem the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), even as the cooperation between the two sides continues on a daily basis and as the United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) praises support for Israeli-PA cooperation.
The PA Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sent a letter to the Security Council accusing Israel of hampering the PA’s efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus in PA territory, and “exploiting the emergency situation to demolish Palestinian homes and expand settlements.”
In his letter to council members sent Thursday, Mansour alleged that Israel confiscated equipment intended for the construction of first aid tents, arrested four Arabs while scavenging public facilities and obstructed volunteers in Hebron who were disinfecting neighborhoods and conducting advocacy activities for residents.
The letter also claimed that IDF soldiers are spitting on Palestinian vehicles and door handles to infect them with the virus, echoing a similar accusation made by PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon responded to the accusations by stating that “even during an international crisis, the Palestinians are unable to break free from their repetitive and baseless complaints.”
“The contempt they have for the truth and how to address a crisis situation is unparalleled. With one hand, they receive Israeli aid to curb the coronavirus in PA territory, and with the other they continue to make false allegations against Israel at the United Nations,” he noted.
Danon added that “those who exploit this crisis to condemn the soldiers of the IDF must be ashamed.”
In the meantime, Saeb Erekat, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and chief negotiator with Israel, published an op-ed in the United Arab Emirates’ The National in English asserting that “as the Palestinian public sector was mobilising to protect our people from this fearsome pandemic, Israeli raids on Palestinian areas have continued.”
After listing several false incidents that allegedly attest to Israel’s war on the PA’s battle against Coronavirus, Erakat wrote that “even with all the barriers imposed by the Israeli occupation, we are going to defeat coronavirus. Our resilience and co-operation with those who believe in a rules-based world order will also lead us, sooner than later, towards freedom, dignity, security and peace.”
Israel has, in fact, significantly assisted the PA in its struggle to stem the spread of the virus, and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has praised the cooperation between Israel and the PA on the issue.
Speaking last month, Guterres stated that “Israelis and Palestinians are a prime example of cooperation in the fight against Corona.”
Earlier last month, President Reuben Rivlin called PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and gave official confirmation of the contacts that have been taking place since mid-February.
(TPS)
