Israel Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Drive; Top US Commander Arrives to Talk About Iranian Threat

Israel’s vaccine drive officially began on Sunday morning, with healthcare workers, President Reuven Rivlin, and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi set to receive the coronavirus shot throughout the day. Starting…

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The government hopes to vaccinate some 60,000 people per day and as many as two million Israelis by the end of January. However, Hebrew media has reported that the first week would serve as a pilot program, tamping down expectations that hundreds of thousands of people would receive the vaccine within a matter of days.

Among the first to get the COVID-19 shot were former coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu and Finance Minister Israel Katz.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night became the first person in Israel to receive the vaccine, getting the shot on live television, and hailing the occasion as a “very great day” for the nation.

All of this comes on the backdrop of a significant spike in the country’s number of daily infections, a situation that may push the coronavirus cabinet to impose new restrictions after its members convene on Sunday.

The Health Ministry announced that there were 2,815 new cases recorded on Friday, with some 445 people in serious condition. To date, 3,070 have died of the pandemic. According to the ministry’s forecast, the country will reach 5,000 to 6,000 new daily cases and 800 seriously ill patients even before the impact of any new restrictions and the effects of the nationwide vaccination drive kick in.

Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz met with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Friday. The top US commander arrived in Israel for a two-day visit on Thursday, meeting a range of senior Israeli military officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.

The visit included discussions of “the latest challenges and operational situation changes in the Middle East,” Gantz said, adding: “We will act in partnership in the face of any scenario on the Iranian front.”

Hours later Milley met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a range of issues pertaining to the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke yesterday morning via videoconference with the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, in the framework of his visit to Israel, and later met with him after leaving quarantine. pic.twitter.com/QlKn22xO3m

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 19, 2020

Milley’s arrival comes during a period of escalating tensions in the Middle East following the killing of Iran’s nuclear chief Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which Tehran blamed on Jerusalem.

The Palestinian foreign minister on Saturday urged Israel to return to talks based on a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ahead of the transition to a new US administration.

Riyad al-Malki’s comments came in a joint statement with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. Al-Malki said that the Palestinian Authority is ready to cooperate with US President-elect Joe Biden on the basis of achieving a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

The top Palestinian diplomat said coordination with Cairo and Amman would establish a “starting point” in dealing with the incoming Biden Administration. Egypt and Jordan are close US allies.

In September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference early next year to launch a “genuine peace process,” based on UN resolutions and past agreements with Israel. Al-Malki also said that Ramallah has resumed security cooperation with Jerusalem.

In May, the Palestinian president declared that the PA would cut ties, including security coordination, following Jerusalem’s announcement that it planned to apply Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.

The Hamas terrorist organization has decided to “limit interaction” with Christmas celebrations in the Gaza Strip, drawing sharp criticism from many Palestinians, especially Christians living in the coastal enclave.

The restrictions, which are not connected to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, include issuing a fatwa (Islamic ruling) and an online campaign about the need to curtail holiday celebrations. In addition, Hamas has recommended that Muslim preachers and media outlets participate in the new policy.

Several Palestinians condemned the Hamas move as “racist” and said it was a sign of the Islamist movement’s ongoing crackdown on Gaza’s Christians.

The number of Christians in Gaza has dropped dramatically over the past decade. In 2009, there was an estimated 3,000 living in the area. Today, there are less than 1,000 Christians in the Hamas-controlled Strip.

Hamas defended the decision and claimed that it applies only to Muslims who attend non-Muslim celebrations.

A new initiative by artists from Tunisia, Yemen and Israel seeks to bring people closer together. Tunis and Sana’a are not among the Arab countries to have recently normalized relations with Jerusalem.

Peace Between Neighbors, released this week, is performed by Israeli Ziv Yehezkel, a religious Mizrahi Jew who sings primarily in Arabic, and Tunisian singer Noomane Chaari. The song was penned by a Yemenite artist who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons.

The project was organized by the New York-based Arab Council for Regional Integration, which defines itself as “A pan-Arab initiative dedicated to fostering a spirit of partnership that knows no borders.”

In the duet, Yehezkel and Chaari sing in Arabic about their religious identities and their desire for peace and an end to hatred. It includes such lines as “In my faith there is a place for all religions” and “My book calls on neighbors to overcome their differences,” while calling for “peace among neighbors” and building “bridges to one another.”

The music video accompanying the song does not expressly mention either Tunisia or Israel, though it includes imagery from both countries.

Peace Between Neighbors: Ziv Yehezkel and Noomane Chaari (VIDEO)