Cooperation between Israel, Palestians in fighting virus applauded during UN call

The U.N. Security Council held its monthly discussion on the Middle East via a video conference on Monday.

Special Coordinator for the Middle East Nickolay Mladenov opened the discussion by praising the recent cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Mladenov also updated the council on U.N. involvement in joint efforts to prevent the spread of the virus in the region.

Mladenov previously lauded the “excellent coordination and cooperation that has been established with all Israeli and Palestinian interlocutors” when briefing members of the Middle East Quartet about the effects of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip.

A recent “emergency situation report” published by the Palestinian branch of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also noted “unprecedented cooperation on efforts aimed at containing the epidemic” between Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and stated that “representatives from both ministries of health, as well as from Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), have been meeting on a regular basis to agree on matters of mutual concern, such the understandings concerning Palestinian workers employed in Israel.”

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon and the representative from the Palestinian delegation were on the video call.

“Even in this new and difficult environment, we continue to take part in the ongoing diplomatic work within the family of nations,” said Danon.

However, he added, “at this time, despite Israel’s aid to the Palestinian Authority, we hear inciting comments coming from the Palestinian prime minister, who accuses IDF soldiers of spreading coronavirus to the P.A. There is no place for such senseless statements by the leadership of the P.A. The U.N. must condemn these remarks.”