Covid-19 in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel’s Duty to Vaccinate

Abstract

This article presents a public health analysis of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) during Covid. Focusing on vaccination, the article goes against vaccine nationalism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that Israel is obligated to provide adequately safe and effective vaccination to the OPT, for three main reasons, in descending normative force. One is corrective justice. Israel has been directly damaging the Palestinian health care infrastructure and contributed largely to the de-development of the health care system in the Palestinian territory, continuing to hamper its reconstruction. It then ought to rectify its wrongdoings. Second is responsibility and solidarity. Israel is responsible for the well-being of those who do not adequately possess it, including Palestinians. Furthermore, people living in Israel may identify with people living in the oPt in relevant ways and should thus stand with them in their fight against Covid-19. Third is prudence. Optimizing immunity among Palestinians would optimize immunity among Israelis. The article finally places the discussion within a wider context of human rights.