UNSC welcomes Israeli-Palestinian cooperation against coronavirus

Israel has provided medical equipment for the PA to combat the pandemic, as well as guidance and cooperation with Palestinian medical crews.

By LAHAV HARKOV
The Foreign Ministry briefing foreign ambassadors to Israel efforts to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority on fighting the novel coronavirus (photo credit: FOREIGN MINISTRY)
The Foreign Ministry briefing foreign ambassadors to Israel efforts to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority on fighting the novel coronavirus
(photo credit: FOREIGN MINISTRY)
The United Nations Security Council welcomed Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in halting the spread of the coronavirus in the West Bank and Gaza, according to a statement put out by Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
The UNSC issued a formal statement saying it "welcomed ongoing Israeli-Palestinian coordination to address this common challenge" of the coronavirus, Danon's office said. It added the 15-member of the UNSC called on Israelis and Palestinians to increase those efforts. The UNSC also lauded the work of the UN in coordinating those efforts.
"The Security Council's statement illustrates the importance of Israel's actions in the region to curb the spread of the epidemic," Danon said.
On Monday the UNSC held an informal meeting via a video conference call in which it discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UN and a number of member states lauded the joint Israeli-Palestinian cooperation with the US stating that it provided a blue-print for renewed peace talks.
The Foreign Ministry briefed foreign ambassadors to Israel about efforts to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority on fighting the novel coronavirus in a video conference on Tuesday.
Israel has provided medical equipment for the PA to combat the pandemic, as well as guidance and cooperation with Palestinian medical crews. Israel also allows medical supplies into Gaza every day.
“The coronavirus pandemic does not differentiate between people and does not stop at borders,” Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General for Economics Yael Rabia-Tzadok said. “Israel and the PA have a close connection with a goal to mitigate the virus’ spread.”
Rabi-Tzadok also mentioned President Reuven Rivlin’s conversation with PA President Mahmoud Abbas on cooperation in combating the pandemic.
She encouraged the international community to send donations to the Palestinians through a fund the UN established to help the PA and Gaza get the equipment they need and respond to the virus’ spread.
“It is the PA’s responsibility to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in PA territory in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza, and the Palestinians will need more than what Israel can give them,” Rabia-Tzadok added.
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick briefed the ambassadors on the UN’s aid efforts and asked for the international community’s enlistment in the cause.
Norwegian Ambassador to Israel Jon Hanssen-Bauer also spoke to the other ambassadors, as a representative of donor states to the Palestinians.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this article.