The Israel Prison Service says it will begin vaccinating all incarcerated people against COVID-19 this week, after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit opposed a push by Public Security Minister Amir Ohana to delay the process.
Israel has given at least one vaccine dose to more than two million of its citizens in the world’s fastest rate per capita.
Israeli and international rights groups, including Amnesty International, as well as the Palestine Liberation Organization, have issued public calls for Israel to vaccinate the estimated 4,400 Palestinian security prisoners held in its jails.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced last week that vaccine doses would be distributed to prisons over the coming days.
The prison service issues a statement saying, “Following the vaccination of staff… the vaccination of detainees will begin in prisons in accordance with medical and operational protocols established by the Prison Service.”
A prison service spokesperson tells AFP the directive applies to “all prisoners, without distinction.”
— with AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
