Arab Israeli tells UN: Claims local vaccination program is racist are baseless

Arab Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad tells the UN Human Rights Council that accusations that Israel’s vaccination program is “racist” and discriminatory are baseless.

Israel has been criticized in some quarters for not doing more to provide vaccines to the Palestinians while Jerusalem asserts it has no such responsibility.

Haddad, invited by the UN Watch to address the council, says: “Accusations have been made that Israel’s coronavirus vaccine program is ‘racist.’ This is false. Like me, my family, friends and hundreds of thousands of other Israeli Arabs have been vaccinated.

“The State of Israel is running campaigns in Arabic to encourage us Arab Israelis to get vaccinated, and Israel’s National EMS Magen David Adom, composed of Jews and Arabs, is working directly in Arab communities to vaccinate,” he says.

“Any attempt to claim that Israel’s vaccine policy is racist is a blatant attempt to smear Israel and distract from the corruption of nations on this very council.”

Haddad is CEO of the organization Together Vouch for Each Other that works to connect the Arab sector to Israeli society. He sometimes blogs for The Times of Israel.