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Assessing the Palestinian Response to the Coronavirus

(JNS) Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eitan Dangot - In the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, the Palestinian Authority has adopted Israel's health policy, which is based on closure, isolation and the opening of designated recovery centers for coronavirus patients. It is also receiving test kits from Israel and the international community. The number of patients that the PA is reporting should be viewed with skepticism due to its general lack of transparency. PA head Mahmoud Abbas is conducting backstage management of the crisis from his home. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh has taken charge of internal responses, and in the process has strengthened his position in Fatah for the day after Abbas. PA officials under Shtayyeh's leadership have been inciting against Israel, accusing it of having an interest to increase the disease among the Palestinian population - an obvious falsehood that ignores the ongoing coordination and requests for further assistance. Until recently, Israel has allowed tens of thousands of Palestinian workers to remain in its territory, but under a now more stringent policy, it is gradually returning most of those workers. With 100,000-plus Palestinians dependent upon work in Israel for their income, the return of Palestinian workers to the West Bank ratchets up the social, economic and health pressures on the PA. In Gaza, the Hamas leadership is fully aware of the potential for massive damage to its rule if the pandemic takes root. It has set up 22 isolation centers for treating patients and has received economic assistance from Qatar. For now, Hamas has significantly decreased its terror activities against Israel in order to focus on the health threat. The writer, former IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, served as the military secretary to three Israeli defense ministers.
2020-04-14 00:00:00
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