4 ms·
> Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. It tramples curiosity. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombi
by js2 6y ago
> Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. It tramples curiosity.
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
To answer your question, the article refers to Israel’s 9.2 million citizens. This includes about 1.9 million Arab Israelis, many who self-identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel or Israeli Palestinians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel
It mostly does not include the nearly 5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are not citizens of Israel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinians https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinians
However, it does include Palestinians in East Jerusalem who have Israeli residency status, as well as Palestinians who come to work in Israel or in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
https://www.bbc.com/news/55800921 https://www.bbc.com/news/55800921
(I happen to think Israel should provide assistance, definitely in the West Bank, and as much as possible in the Gaza Strip, from both a practical and moral standpoint [tikkun olam], even if it is not legally obligated to do so based on the Oslo accords. But, politics.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam
Edit to add: in trying to understand a bit better some of the factors why Israel hasn't assisted more, I learned a couple things.
1. Israel made an agreement with Pfizer to trade Israeli medical data in return for access. That could not include Palestinians not in Israel's medical system.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/25/960465917/israel-secures-covid-19-vaccine-doses-by-agreeing-to-share-medical-data-on-israe https://www.npr.org/2021/01/25/960465917/israel-secures-covi...
2. Hardliners in the Israeli government wanted to use vaccine access as a bargaining chip to secure release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. There's also politics on the P.A. side which wants to secure access to vaccine w/o relying on Israel.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-health-coronavirus-pandemic-west-bank-gaza-strip-74da17fc337ce6e9812f05c9e0d0461f https://apnews.com/article/israel-health-coronavirus-pandemi...
- illustriousbear 6y agoIt's not at all political to state a well known situation. Afterall, Hackernews probably wouldn't allow Holocaust denial on the board. Mentioning people who live under Israel's apartheid conditions is completely relevant since they probably aren't receiving proper support and treatment, which in turn questions the validity of the article's claim.
- rowanseymour 6y agoIMO any discussion of Israel's vaccination progress which doesn't mention the millions of people living under its military control, is ideological itself. Israel is obliged to provide healthcare to those it occupies under the Geneva convention. The Oslo accords, don't supercede the Geneva convention. Israel may have delegated responsibilities such as healthcare to the PA, but as the occupying power, it is still legally on the hook to ensure people living under its military control get a certain level of healthcare.
- Clewza313 6y agoIt saddens me that this dispassionate statement of facts is getting downvotes.
- duckfang 6y ago> > Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. It tramples curiosity. > To answer your question, the article refers to Israel’s 9.2 million citizens. This includes about 1.9 million Arab Israelis, many who self-identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel or Israeli Palestinians. So highlighting severe state-level issues, and technological means that we can come together and figure out.... is "trampling curiosity"? I would dare-say that it just happens to go against your personal politics. Next time, try making it impersonal. It's not about you - if you think it is, you're wrong. Look at it as a challenge to surmount, with technology. > It mostly does not include the nearly 5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are not citizens of Israel. Indeed it doesn't, which is why I'm mentioning it. They have been surrounded on sea and land by the Israelis, whom claim ownership of them. To fix a problem, first you have to admit there is a problem. Two colleagues of mine are working on cheap long-range gas powered drones, that have kilograms of excess capacity. A fleet of these could surely bring in medical supplies to the region. And Starlink offers a complete global internet access system. Please, the next time someone triggers you with (unwanted by you) political talk, discuss it more dispassionately. These are human problems and can be solved by human means.
- slim 6y agoit's not political. he's refuting the argument on the basis there are millions of people still not vaccinated. so it did not achieve immunity.