Israel will close its only major airport for a week in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus and prevent new variants from emerging.
The Washington Post reports that the Israeli cabinet agreed on Sunday to stop all entrances and exits from Ben Gurion International Airport until at least the end of January. Cargo flights, medical evacuations and “fire flights” will be exempt from the rule.
“No nation has done what we are about to do: we are sealing the country tightly,” the Israeli prime minister said. Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE. “We do this to prevent the entry of virus mutations and to ensure that we make rapid progress with our vaccination campaign.”
The rule will be extended to Jewish immigrants traveling to the country under the Return Act, the Post reports.
The most infectious variant of coronavirus in the UK has been detected in Israel, the Post reports, contributing to Israel’s decision to seal itself from the world. Another new strain has been discovered that is believed to have originated in South Africa.
The Post notes that Israel has excelled in administering doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, with 27% of the population receiving the first dose. However, the country has received an international condemnation for refusing to provide vaccines to Palestinians in its occupied territories.
“Nothing can justify the current reality in some parts of the West Bank, where people on one side of the street receive vaccines, while those on the other do not, depending on whether they are Jewish or Palestinian,” the Israeli director said. and Palestine on Human Rights Watch (HRW), Omar Shakir, in a statement.
“All people in the same territory should have equitable access to the vaccine, regardless of their ethnicity.”
Palestinian leaders have said they do not have the funds to pay for coronavirus vaccines. Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has said Israel is not responsible for providing vaccines to Palestinians, but has acknowledged that it would be in Israel’s interests to do so. However, Edelstein claimed that the vaccines provided to Palestine would come after the Israeli population had been vaccinated.