In surprise humanitarian move, Israeli Prime Minister Bennett gives 1.4 million Pfizer COVID vaccine doses to the Palestinians

JERUSALEM—In an unexpected move on Friday, new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett struck an agreement with the Palestinian Authority to provide coronavirus vaccines for the Palestinian people.

“The State of Israel will transfer to the Palestinian Authority (PA) between 1 million and 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine presently in stock in Israel,” said a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The deal is actually a swap.

The Israeli vaccine doses will expire soon if they are not used.

Given that most Israelis are already vaccinated, the doses are being transferred to the Palestinian Authority who do not have enough for their own people.

“In exchange for the vaccines to be transferred to the PA, Israel will receive an identical quantity of new vaccine doses from Pfizer during September and October 2021, in place of the consignment earmarked for the PA,” the statement noted.

Bravo, I say.

Bennett, a right-wing protégé of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, deserves credit for showing compassion towards Israel’s neighbors during his first week on the job.