JERUSALEM – Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians on the eastern borders of this disputed city have been nothing short of a preventive to the arrival of the Coronavirus. Both countries blame each other to use infectious diseases to support their political goals on the other.
Several Palestinians have complained that Israeli administrators, who make available health and police services in East Jerusalem, have been sluggish to test the virus and offer information in Arabic in this part of the city, and in some cases, have let down Arabs’ own response efforts to the outburst.
Israeli administrators, in turn, contend that the Palestinian Administration, which administrates the neighboring West Bank, is taking advantage of this outbreak to intervene in Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods.
In other areas, Israeli and Palestinian agencies have cooperated to allocate test kits. They also limit the movement of people and enable the delivery of vital supplies to Gaza. But both Israel and the Palestinian Authority are fast-tracked to end the high death toll by some countries due to tensions in Jerusalem.
According to the Stressed inhabitants of East;
It is not the first time they have been caught in a war of words between the two countries.
Everybody wants to limit them, but no one wants to support them.
The new tensions start in the starting days of outbursts when Israeli and Palestinian activists condemned the Israeli Ministry of Health for letting down to give COVID-19 information in Arabic, which made up about 20 percent of the Israeli population.
Israel has set up several drive-through testing centers throughout the country, including one in West Jerusalem. While Palestinians can freely travel about the city, a lot of avoiding to go to the Jewish community, and local leaders have called for a center in East Jerusalem.
According to Saheed Bashara, who is a lawyer for the court, the Arab minority rights legal center in Israel “Many elderly women, men and children have to go through a checkpoint to reach Jerusalem and the current test center. The Supreme Court was also requested to ensure that the residents of the city provide the testing facility.
Israeli officials stated;
They are equally loyal to providing Coronavirus amenities in all parts of Jerusalem. They also claim that the only emergency response was due to any interruption in the Arab parts of the city.
According to the Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan;
“Israel sees the whole region as a pandemic,” “This virus does not differentiate between Jews and others.”
The deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan Nahoum stated;
The Coronavirus measures are now operating in all constituencies of the city, including Arab palaces, providing food and supplies to those in need. The ministry with the Ministry of Health and the Army establish five hotels, including one Jabal Mukaber.
According to the Hassan-Nahoum;
“We are trying to test the sick.” They arranged a test center last Thursday. We are also testing close to 300 people a day. We want to increase the number of test to 1,000 every day.”
Recently, Israeli police have detained two Palestinian Authority administrators for allegedly promoting their government’s benefits in Jerusalem. It is an act that Israel has banned in the city.
According to police;
hey arrested two officials Fadi al-Hadami and Adnan Gheit, on charges of conducting political activities on behalf of the foreign agents.
Al-Hadami stated;
Police imprisoned him for coming on Palestinian television, suggesting East Jerusalemites stay home and take protective measures. “They wanted me to have a face mask, but I could tell it was used,” he said of his arrest. He also had blood drops on it.
Israeli police presenter Mikey Rosenfeld denied that al-Qaeda was given a dirty face mask.
Fawad Hallak, a Palestinian Fatah party’s policy consultant in East Jerusalem, stated;
The police stopped his controlling groups when they opened mosques and churches in the old city of Jerusalem on April 3.
According to the Halalk;
“Israel is also stopping all our activities concerned with the Coronavirus.