Israel’s leaders on Monday celebrated the country’s 5 millionth COVID-19 vaccination on the same day that the government began vaccinating Palestinian laborers who work in the country.
There was no indication that the two events were coordinated, but their split-screen quality offered a stark contrast between Israel’s world-leading vaccination blitz, and the plight of 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Progress in places like Israel, the US and Britain has heightened concerns among human rights advocates of driving a wider gap between wealthy countries and those that cannot afford pricey vaccination programs.
Until Monday, the Palestinian Authority, which administers autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had received enough doses for only 6,000 people.
Israel has inoculated more than half of its population of 9.3 million and on Monday pushed ahead with the reopening of more of its economy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to vaccinate the entire adult population by the end of next month, which he said would mean “we are out of the corona crisis.”
He attended a news conference in Tel Aviv with Janet Lavi-Azulay, an Israeli woman who became the 5 millionth person in Israel to be vaccinated.
In all, Israel has vaccinated about 80 percent of its adult population, giving decisionmakers confidence to begin reopening stores, restaurants, health clubs and music clubs in the past few days.
Many of these amenities are available only to those who can prove that they have been vaccinated or have recovered from the virus.
About 100km southeast, Anwar Muhammad Awarin got his jab and showed a text on his cell phone certifying the inoculation.
For him and other Palestinian workers, it was less about celebrating and more about survival.
“I got the vaccine so I can work,” said Awarin, who received his inoculation at the Meitar checkpoint in the West Bank. “If you don’t get the vaccine, you don’t get the permit. So, I got the permit and my health as well.”
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