Israel: Justice freezes transfer of anti-Covid vaccines to other countries
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced this week his intention to deliver 100,000 doses to Palestinians and friendly countries.
Alex KOLOMIENSKY POOL / AFP / File
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2 min
Israeli justice finally suspends the transfer of vaccines against Covid-19 by the Jewish state to its allies.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to deliver 100,000 doses to Palestinians and friendly countries.
A decision that angered the opposition and part of the Israelis.
Justice must say whether this approach actually falls within the prerogatives of the Prime Minister.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Sami Boukhelifa
The anti-Covid-19 vaccine at the service of Israeli diplomacy, that's no!
The Minister of Defense Benny Gantz is indignant.
In a letter, this political rival of Benyamin Netanyahu, explains: "
It is not the transfer of vaccines to the Palestinian Authority which poses problem, since it follows a regular procedure
", It is well the sharing with others country of vaccines originally intended for Israelis which seems to upset the population.
The question is now in the hands of justice.
It is the Attorney General who must decide and say whether the Prime Minister has the power to transfer vaccines paid for by the Israeli taxpayer to third countries.
Donations not so free
Benjamin Netanyahu hoped to profit from these
donations of vaccines
for two reasons: first to improve Israel's image and to gain support on the international stage.
And thus put to his credit this influence while he is in the middle of an election campaign and he hopes to be reelected.
Benny Gantz, also a legislative candidate for next March, believes that the issue of vaccine donations should have been discussed by a ministerial committee.
He accuses Benyamin Netanyahu of "
running the country like a monarchy
".
► To read also: The diplomacy of the vaccine of the Israelis
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Israel
Coronavirus
Benjamin Netanyahu
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