Coronavirus in Israel: Palestinian and Israeli prisoners vaccinated at the same time
A man vaccinated in Jerusalem on January 11.
AP - Oded Balilty
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
In Israel all prisoners including some 4,400 Palestinian detainees will ultimately be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The country is considered the world champion in vaccination, more than 20% of its population has already received a first injection.
But vaccination of detainees was not guaranteed.
It has been the subject of deep disagreement within the government.
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From our correspondent in Jerusalem
,
Sami Boukhelifa
The standoff lasted for several days.
On the one hand, the Minister of Internal Security Amir Ohana, fiercely opposed to the vaccination of prisoners.
In the opposing camp the Minister of Health, Yuli Edlstein.
►Also read
: How Israel became the champion of vaccination against Covid-19
Each presents its arguments: for the first, the priority in terms of vaccinations, goes to the prison staff.
This decision is criticized both by the Israeli Attorney General, who considers it illegal, and by the President of the Hebrew state, who considers it "
incompatible with the values of his country and Judaism
".
No distinction
The Minister of Health believes for his part that an "
unvaccinated prisoner, suffering from Covid-19, would be expensive for the State
".
We must therefore take action.
The prison vaccination campaign begins this week.
No distinction between Israeli detainees and Palestinian detainees.
The approximately 4,400 Palestinian prisoners will also receive the vaccine against the coronavirus.
The NGO
Human Rights Watch
wishes to go further.
It calls on the Hebrew state as the “
occupying power
” to provide vaccines to the entire Palestinian population.
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