Israel’s recent attempt to share some of its COVID-19 vaccination stockpile with other countries unleashed a torrent of problematic news coverage. By depicting the Jewish state’s foray into vaccine diplomacy as a cold, calculated political ploy, the media failed to provide crucial context.
And while the plan now appears to be on hold, news organizations’ portrayal of Israel as a wealthy nation leveraging its world-leading vaccination drive to get diplomatic perks from other countries, as Palestinians go without inoculations, has dredged up and is perpetuating the ancient stereotype of the greedy, dishonest Jew.
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When It Comes to Israel, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
A February 23 New York Times piece exemplifies the mainstream media’s approach to the Israeli vaccination story:
The article, written by Patrick Kingsley opens with:
The Israeli government has pledged to send thousands of spare coronavirus vaccines to foreign allies, reigniting a debate about Israel’s responsibilities to people closer to home: Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.”
Notice how seamlessly Israel’s largesse is warped into an indictment of the Jewish state’s treatment of the Palestinians. But if news organizations chose to question the Jewish state’s motives in attempting to do what it can to combat a worldwide pandemic, then should not the efforts of other countries come under similar scrutiny?
Vaccines Without Borders
COVID-19 has ravaged many developing countries, causing deaths, illnesses, and economic despair. The World Bank estimates that between 40 and 60 million people may be pushed into extreme poverty in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. As such, assistance provided by developed countries is crucial.
In response, the European Union joined forces with Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and over forty other countries to establish the Coronavirus Global Response Initiative that has raised €15.9 billion ($19.8 billion).
In February, a cargo plane landed in Ghana with 600,000 doses of a vaccine developed in Britain and manufactured in India. In addition, China recently announced that it would donate 300,000 doses to Egypt. And though news organizations reflexively perpetuate the Palestinian victim narrative, a shipment of 20,000 Russian coronavirus vaccine doses donated by the United Arab Emirates arrived in the Gaza Strip on February 21.
Meanwhile, Washington stated through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) that it will provide an initial $2 billion, out of a total planned $4 billion, for COVID-19 vaccines for 92 low- and middle-income countries.
Related Reading: How You Can Respond to the Vaccine Diplomacy Libel
It is worth noting that none of these government commitments to help have anything to do with geographic proximity.
Indeed, on March 3 the Biden Administration stated that it would not share its coronavirus vaccine supply with Mexico, the US’s neighbor to the south. “The president has made clear that he is focused on ensuring that vaccines are accessible to every American. That is our focus,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Yet despite the similarities between the Jewish state’s pledge to help and the rest of the developed world’s, Israel’s initiative to expand access to vaccines was reported on very differently than other coronavirus-related humanitarian efforts:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday acknowledged sharing coronavirus vaccines with a number of friendly countries that have given favors to Israel in the past. Although he did not identify the countries, a list obtained by an Israeli TV station suggested that a number of them have supported Israel’s claim to the contested city of Jerusalem as its capital…At a time of global shortages, the vaccine has become a diplomatic asset that can be used for diplomatic gain.”
Based on such a depiction, readers could easily come away with the impression that the Jewish state is turning the Corona crisis into an opportunity. This headline sums up the anti-Israel narrative:
Uniting to Defeat Covid-19: Doing Well By Doing Good
The allegation that Israel is giving away vaccines to countries around the world for political gain, at the expense of Palestinians, is but the latest twist on the vaccine libel that too many news organizations have run with since Jerusalem’s inoculation drive began in December 2020.
By smearing the Jewish state’s effort to accelerate the worldwide vaccination rate, major media outlets are ignoring a reality of the human condition, that acting to further the interests of others can simultaneously serve one’s self-interest as well. To quote USAID:
In support of America’s foreign policy, the US Agency for International Development leads the US Government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.
And what will Israel and other countries fortunate enough to be in a position to give get in return? The nature of COVID-19 is such that until it is brought under control everywhere it is likely to spread anywhere. And with mutations already arising, it is likely that today’s vaccines will become less effective with time.
So when it comes to the physical and economic well-being of people living in far-off countries, Israel and other governments have a vested interest in doing well by doing good.
Yet exactly when the world has an opportunity to unite around a common cause, agenda-driven journalists continue to turn the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity to target, denigrate and isolate Israel.
