2 MKs say Israel must demand ‘reciprocity’ for treating PLO official infected with COVID

Far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich comes out against Israel’s decision to treat top PLO official Saeb Erekat at an Israeli hospital.

“The fact that we’re providing humanitarian medical treatment to our enemies without demanding humanitarian reciprocity in the form of returning the bodies of Hadar [Goldin] and Oron [Shaul] and the release of the citizens being held in Hamas captivity is immoral and illogical,” tweets Smotrich, a member of the Yamina party.

He adds: “On this matter there is no difference between Gaza and Ramallah.”

Erekat, the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, is aligned with the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Fatah, the political party that dominates the PA, is rivals with Hamas and was expelled from the Gaza Strip in 2007 by the Islamist terror group.

Blue and White MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh echoes Smotrich.

“The foundational principle of reciprocity demands: humanitarian for humanitarian! Medical aid must be reciprocated w/ return of 4 Israelis held in #Gaza for 6+ yrs, in violation of int’l law,” she writes on Twitter.

Besides the bodies of IDF soldiers Goldin and Shaul, who were killed in the 2014 Gaza war, Hamas is believed to be holding Israeli citizens Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who entered the Strip willingly but whose families say suffer from mental health issues.

PA asks #Israel to grant @ErakatSaeb #COVID19 medical care.

The foundational principle of reciprocity demands: humanitarian for humanitarian! Medical aid must be reciprocated w/ return of 4 Israelis held in #Gaza for 6+ yrs, in violation of int’l law.https://t.co/wSfu02irVx

— מיכל קוטלר-וונש | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) October 18, 2020