WarSclerotic

Perhaps uncharacteristically, the United Nations has showered praise on Israel for its “excellent” cooperation with the Palestinian Authority in fighting the coronavirus.

PA government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem has repeatedly mentioned working together with Israel in his daily press briefings. However, other Palestinian top officials have continued to condemn the Jewish state, accusing it of cruelly abusing the health crisis to violate Palestinian human rights.

“We hold discussions and consultations every day with the relevant UN officials. We hear from them praise for the State of Israel for the coordination and good cooperation in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, which in our view is essential and necessary for an effective response to the spread of the virus,” Alon Bar, deputy director-general for the UN and international organizations at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said Sunday.

Israeli and Palestinian officials, having long worked together on security and civil matters, recently set up a special mechanism to communicate “moment by moment” on all issues related to the virus, a senior Palestinian official told The Times of Israel.

Palestinian health workers handling a coronavirus test sample of Palestinian workers as they cross back from Israel at a checkpoint in Tarqumiya on March 25, 2020 (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

But while the Palestinians don’t generally talk too much about their coordination with Israel, various UN officials went out of their way over the past week to highlight it.

Last Tuesday, the Palestine branch of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — which is not known for its praise for Israeli government activities — published its first “emergency situation report,” noting “unprecedented cooperation on efforts aimed at containing the epidemic” between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

“Representatives from both ministries of health, as well as from Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) have been meeting on a regular basis to agree on matters of mutual concern, such the understandings concerning Palestinian workers employed in Israel,” the report stated.

“As part of this efforts, COGAT is facilitating four trainings for Palestinian medical teams, while the Israeli [Health Ministry] donated over 1,000 testing kits and thousands of PPEs [Personal Protective Equipment] to the West Bank and Gaza.”

A Palestinian Authority policeman delivers supplies to the hotel staff who tested positive to coronavirus in Bethlehem, West Bank, March 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

The PA last week also acknowledged that Israel had transferred $25 million in previously withheld tax money, after PA Finance Minister Shukri Bishara and his Israeli counterpart, Moshe Kahlon, met — according to the PA Finance Ministry — to discuss the economic impact of the coronavirus on Israel and the Palestinians.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned the close cooperation between Jerusalem and Ramallah on Wednesday during a press conference announcing the launch of the “COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan.” All UN special envoys in volatile areas have been urging warring parties to agree on a ceasefire, he said, adding that he was encouraged by the fact that these calls have resonated in some areas.

“I see… different parties to a conflict cooperating in order to respond to this dramatic situation,” he said. “To give an example, in fighting COVID-19, the Palestinian Authority and Israel have been able to work together, even if we know the extreme division that exists politically between the two.”

Also on Wednesday, President Reuven Rivlin phoned PA President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the pandemic.

“The world is dealing with a crisis that does not distinguish between people or where they live,” Rivlin told Abbas, adding “the cooperation between us is vital to ensure the health of both Israelis and Palestinians.”

He added that “our ability to work together in times of crisis is also testament to our ability to work together in the future for the good of us all.”

Two days later, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed members of the Middle East Quartet (the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia) about the effects of the coronavirus on the already tense situation in Gaza. In his remarks, he stressed the “excellent coordination and cooperation that has been established with all Israeli and Palestinian interlocutors,” according to a readout of the briefing.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov at a press conference at the (UNSCO) offices in Gaza City, September 25, 2017. (Adel Hana/AP)

“Israeli and Palestinian authorities continue to coordinate their responses closely and constructively, a major factor in the containment achieved so far,” the readout added, stressing that Israel has also facilitated the entry of “critical supplies and equipment” into the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave.

“Examples of critical supplies include swabs for collection of samples and other laboratory supplies required for COVID-19 testing and Personal Protective Equipment to protect health workers. This is in addition to Israel’s cooperation to allow for the movement and access of personnel involved in the COVID-19 response to and from both the West Bank and Gaza,” the readout stated.

On Saturday, the UN released a detailed press release about the briefing, stressing Mladenov’s praise of the Israeli-Palestinian coordination in the fight against the pandemic.

A UN press release saying good things about Israel was yet “more proof aliens have taken over,” joked Hillel Neuer, the executive director of UN Watch, a pro-Israel watchdog based in Geneva.

“Their close coordination and prompt actions will save lives,” he added.

The only UN-affiliated body that was critical of Israel regarding coordinating the COVID-19 crisis was the World Health Organization, whose Palestine branch’s latest monthly report accused Israel of obstructing Palestinians’ access to vital medicine.

It quoted a Gazan mother of five named Itidal who said she feared to travel to East Jerusalem, where she usually goes to pick up her prescription of Herceptin, which she takes to fight breast cancer. In order to leave the Gaza Strip, she needs to apply for a special permit from the Israeli authorities, which is sometimes granted and sometimes denied, according to the report.

“Despite my fear and confusion from the new situation of coronavirus, I persisted to apply because I felt that if I don’t get the treatment my health will just deteriorate,” Itidal was quoted as saying. Why can’t the drugs simply be shipped to Gaza? she wondered.

Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus, at the main market in Gaza City, March 19, 2020. (Adel Hana/AP)

“As patients, why should we suffer to receive treatment? I appeal to the authorities to provide the drugs we need in Gaza at this difficult time,” she went on, according to the WHO report. “That will eliminate needless suffering of cancer patients, support our efforts and reduce costs.”

‘The hateful occupation continues its aggressive practices’

Palestinian officials were less subtle than Itidal in their criticism of Israel, attacking the government in Jerusalem in the harshest terms.

Last Tuesday, Milhem, the PA government spokesman, accused Israel of “dumping” an ill Palestinian worker — who he said had been suspected of carrying coronavirus — at a checkpoint in the central West Bank a day earlier.

“They dumped him in the middle of the road while he was experiencing pain,” he said. “They welcome us as healthy people and then throw us in the middle of the road as sick people. This is in contravention of human rights.”

PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh bewailed Israel’s “hateful occupation [that] continues its aggressive practices against our people.

“This occupation knows nothing of humanity, and the international community is required to curb its illegal practices,” he said.

On Sunday, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat angrily pointed out that the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Arabic Twitter account posted a call for regional cooperation with several Arab states in the region — but not Palestine.

“As someone who knows well the extent of cooperation between Israel & the PA on #Corona, it’s unfortunate that you choose to sow division during this time of crisis,” the ministry tweeted in response.

The Health Ministry said Monday morning that the number of Israelis infected with the coronavirus was 4,347, a rise of 100 cases since Sunday night.

The cases included 80 in serious condition, of whom 63 were attached to ventilators, the ministry said. Another 81 were in moderate condition, 134 had recovered, and the rest had mild symptoms.

The daily increase had been the single largest since the first coronavirus case was recorded in the country, and put it in 17th place in terms of infection numbers worldwide.

The death toll in Israel from the coronavirus is 15, with three new fatalities recorded on Sunday. Of the 15 people to die in Israel from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, 13 were over the age of 70. An 82-year-old Israeli man in Italy also died of the disease.

One of those in serious condition is a man in his 20s who had no preexisting medical issues. Due to increasing difficulty breathing, he was sedated and hooked up to a ventilator, Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital said Sunday.

Illustrative: A doctor checks a medical ventilator control panel while wearing protective clothing at the Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, March 16, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

The continued rise in virus cases came as a top Health Ministry official reportedly warned that Israel needed to prepare for a situation in which 5,000 people infected with the virus needed ventilators.

“This is a difficult scenario, but we can endure it,” Dr. Vered Ezra, head of medical management at the ministry, was quoted as saying by Channel 12 news in a briefing.

According to a report prepared last week for the Knesset’s Special Committee on Dealing With the Coronavirus, there are at most 1,437 ventilators in the country still available to treat patients. The Health Ministry disputed that figure, saying there were 2,864 available ventilators.

There have been growing concerns there may not be enough ventilators to treat all of the most seriously ill, leaving doctors with life and death decisions on whom to keep alive.

Israelis were ordered starting last Wednesday to remain in their homes unless they are taking part in a small number of approved activities, including purchasing food and medicine or taking a short walk no more than 100 meters (328 feet) from their home. Those found violating those regulations are subject to fines of upwards of NIS 500 ($140) or imprisonment.

The government was set to weigh imposing further restrictions.

A 58-year-old man with “very significant preexisting conditions” died of the coronavirus in central Israel’s Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, making him the 16th and youngest person in Israel to succumb to the disease, the hospital said Monday.

According to the medical center, located in the Tel Aviv suburb of Be’er Yaakov, the patient was brought into the hospital from Holon on Sunday night.

“Unfortunately, he passed away this morning,” the hospital said in a statement. “We share the family’s grief and send our condolences.”

There were no immediate details on his identity.

Three fatalities were recorded on Sunday. Of the 16 people to die in Israel from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, 13 have been over the age of 70. An 82-year-old Israeli man in Italy also died of the disease.

Medical team members at the Barzilay hospital, in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, wear protective gear, as they handle a coronavirus test sample on March 29, 2020. (Flash90)

The Health Ministry said Monday morning that the number of Israelis infected with the coronavirus was 4,347, a rise of 100 cases since Sunday night.

The cases included 80 in serious condition, of whom 63 were on ventilators, the ministry said. Another 81 were in moderate condition, 134 had recovered, and the rest had mild symptoms.

The tally soared beyond the 4,000 mark on Sunday, with an increase of 628 cases in 24 hours. The daily increase was the single largest since the first coronavirus case was recorded in the country, and put it in 17th place in terms of infection numbers worldwide.

One of those in serious condition is a man in his 20s who had no preexisting medical issues. Due to increasing difficulty breathing, he was sedated and hooked up to a ventilator, Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital said Sunday.

Illustrative: A doctor checks a medical ventilator control panel while wearing protective clothing at the Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, March 16, 2020. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)

The continued rise in virus cases came as a top Health Ministry official reportedly warned that Israel needed to prepare for a situation in which 5,000 people infected with the virus needed ventilators.

“This is a difficult scenario, but we can endure it,” Dr. Vered Ezra, head of medical management at the ministry, was quoted as saying by Channel 12 news in a briefing.

According to a report prepared last week for the Knesset’s Special Committee on Dealing With the Coronavirus, there are at most 1,437 ventilators in the country still available to treat patients. The Health Ministry disputed that figure, saying there were 2,864 available ventilators.

There have been growing concerns there may not be enough ventilators to treat all of the most seriously ill, leaving doctors with life and death decisions on whom to keep alive.

Israelis were ordered starting last Wednesday to remain in their homes unless they are taking part in a small number of approved activities, including purchasing food and medicine, going to work, or taking a short walk no more than 100 meters (328 feet) from their home. Those found violating those regulations are subject to fines of upwards of NIS 500 ($140) or imprisonment.

The government was set to weigh imposing further restrictions.

The toll in Israel from the coronavirus rose to 15 Sunday with the death of Rosa Sherman, 84, in Jerusalem.

The capital’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center announced her death in a statement, saying she was hospitalized six days ago in very serious condition.

Sherman was the third person to die from the virus since Sunday morning. Earlier a person died in Bnei Brak and another in Jerusalem, both in their 90s.

Of the 15 people to die so far in Israel from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, 13 were over the age of 70. An 82-year-old Israeli man in Italy also died of the disease.

As of Sunday morning, there have been 3,865 confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel. According to the Health Ministry, 66 people are in serious condition, including 54 who were breathing with the help of ventilators. Another 82 people were in moderate condition, while the rest had minor symptoms.

One of those in serious condition is a man in his 20s who had no preexisting medical issues. Due to increasing difficulty in breathing, he was sedated and hooked up to a ventilator, Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital said Sunday.

The continued rise in virus cases came as a top Health Ministry official reportedly warned that Israel needed to prepare for a situation in which 5,000 people infected with the virus needed ventilators.

“This is a difficult scenario, but we can endure it,” Dr. Vered Ezra, head of medical management at the ministry, was quoted saying by Channel 12 news as saying in a briefing.

According to a report prepared last week for the Knesset’s Special Committee on Dealing With the Coronavirus, there are at most 1,437 ventilator machines in the country still available to treat patients. The Health Ministry disputed that figure, saying there were 2,864 available ventilators.

There have been growing concerns there may not be enough ventilators to treat all of the most seriously ill, leaving doctors with life and death decisions on whom to keep alive.

Israelis were ordered starting on Wednesday to remain in their homes unless they are taking part in a small number of approved activities, including purchasing food and medicine or going a short walk of no more than 100 meters (328 feet) from their home. Those found violating those regulations are subject to fines of upwards of NIS 500 ($140) or imprisonment.

The government was set to weigh imposing further restrictions.

US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to congratulate him that he’ll be forming Israel’s next government, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The call came a day after Netanyahu closed in on a unity government with rival Benny Gantz.

“The president of the United States telephoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him that he will form and head the next government,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

“During the conversation, which was warm and friendly, the leaders discussed the various steps needed to deal with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” the statement said.

The White House said in a statement that Trump and Netanyahu “discussed the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic, and the president thanked the prime minister for his strong action to stop its spread.”

“The two leaders agreed to cooperate closely to combat the virus and minimize its global impact,” The White House statement said, without mentioning the premiership.

As things formally stand, it is Gantz who has been charged by President Reuven Rivlin with forming Israel’s next government, having been recommended as prime minister by 61 MKs. But the anticipated unity deal would see Netanyahu stay on as prime minister for the next 18 months, at which point he would hand over to Gantz, in a “rotation” deal that many observers believe will not play out.

Since the March 2 election, in which Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats but his right-wing bloc fell three seats shy of forming a majority coalition, only Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz had phoned the premier to offer congratulations.

After elections in April 2019, which Netanyahu initially appeared to have won but ultimately proved unable to form a coalition, Trump called the Likud leader the next day from Air Force One with congratulations.

Gantz was handed the mandate to form a government on March 16, but appeared to have no clear path to forging a stable coalition. Both he and Netanyahu, who has run Israel for over a decade but is facing criminal charges, had publicly touted the need for a national emergency unity government in light of the coronavirus crisis, but neither had appeared to make any meaningful steps toward that goal before a Wednesday night phone call between the two.

Gantz was elected Knesset speaker Thursday evening as part of the emerging unity deal.

Benny Gantz (R) at the Knesset on March 26, 2020, after being elected Knesset speaker. (Knesset)

According to the reported pact taking shape, Gantz is set to partner with Netanyahu in a unity coalition, serving initially as foreign or defense minister and then taking over as prime minister in September or October 2021.

Furious at Gantz’s move, and accusing him of stealing the votes of their supporters and handing them to Netanyahu, the Yesh Atid and Telem factions filed a formal request to break away from Gantz late on Thursday afternoon, leaving only Gantz’s Israel Resilience faction to join forces with Netanyahu’s Likud. Lapid had reportedly told Gantz he preferred that Israel go to fourth elections than see Blue and White partner with Netanyahu.

Gantz and his Blue and White colleagues had vowed through election campaigns in the past year not to sit in a government with Netanyahu so long as he is facing criminal charges. But Gantz said Thursday and Friday that the pandemic and the electoral deadlock necessitated atypical behavior to drag Israel out of crisis. (The prime minister’s trial was supposed to begin on March 17 but has been postponed to May amid the coronavirus-related emergency restrictions that have shut down most Israeli court activity.)

Gantz is expected to resign the speakership after a unity government is formed, to be replaced by a Likud MK, potentially even the previous Knesset speaker, Yuli Edelstein, who refused to carry out a Supreme Court order to hold a vote on who would succeed him, and resigned.