This is a rolling blog post, originally published on March 17, 2020, and will be updated regularly.

The news cycle has been dominated by COVID-19, and a number of advocacy NGOs have made statements linking their agendas to this issue. In the Israeli context, this is consistent with previous attempts by NGOs to capitalize on prevailing public discourse, for instance manipulating narratives of climate change and LGBTQ rights as part of their anti-Israel campaigns.

The most notorious example today is a tweet from Sarah Leah Whitson, currently at the Quincy Institute and previously head of the MENA division at Human Rights Watch. Whitson used the classic antisemitic blood libel in responding to a cynical tweet about “6 million jewish israelis” understanding life under “occupation” due to the virus, stating “such a tiny taste. Missing a tablespoon on blood.” (March 14, 2020).

NGO statements relating to Israel and COVID-19 deal with a few common themes:

  1. “Occupation”: COVID-19 has been appended onto the standard anti-occupation rhetoric and existing campaigns that, for some NGOs and activists, are presented as the most pressing and real global concerns. Tellingly, complaints about Israeli policy in the West Bank do not seriously grapple with whether they will effectively curb the spread of disease, but rather presume that Israel must be acting in bad faith because “occupation.”
  2. Responsibility for Gaza: 15 years after the withdrawal, NGOs continue to blame Israel for a “humanitarian crisis”  based on a unique standard of international law applied to Israel alone that denies Hamas and other actors agency for diverting resources to weapons, tunnels, and terror, instead of public infrastructure. In the current context, NGOs have been using COVID-19 as an excuse to criticize legitimate anti-terror policies and to preemptively blame Israel for an outbreak in Gaza.
  • Human Rights Watch (HRW): HRW published an article, “COVID-19 Restrictions Offer Window into Palestinian Experience,” belittling Israeli security policies and claiming that “Movement Restrictions, Family Separation Daily Reality for Millions of Palestinians.” The article completely ignores the significant security threat posed by terrorists in Gaza, alleging that “Israel’s closure of Gaza…is vastly disproportionate to any concrete security threat.” As usual, HRW provides no alternative policy suggestions as to how Israel could ensure the security of its citizens without these restrictions. (April 15)
  • On March 15, 2020, Executive Director Ken Roth tweeted, “The coronavirus will test the wisdom of Israel’s policies for crippling the economy and health systems of Gaza and the West Bank. As the occupying power (for Gaza, too, given Israel’s severe restrictions on movement), Israel is responsible for health care.” (March 15, 2020)
  • Omar Shakir retweeted an article in +972 magazine titled “West Bank lockdowns didn’t start with the coronavirus pandemic.” The article argues that Israel’s quarantine regarding anyone who had been in Bethlehem is harmful to Palestinians working in Israel. This ignores the implementation of the same policies for the entire Israeli population, as well as tourists and anyone who had been in the vicinity of infected individuals – causing many to miss work. (March 11)
  • In a tweet, Omar Shakir alleged that I “Israel has caged 2 million ppl in 25by7 mile (40by11 KM) enclave & sharply restricted entry of goods for 13 yrs, decimating Gaza’s health sector. Real risk of a calamity. Closure must end.” Shakir ignores Hamas’ corruption, abuse of aid, and decision to devote resources to terror instead of building medical infrastructure. (March 25)
  • Omar Shakir tweeted “#COVID19 has led countries worldwide to release prisoners. Israel should follow suit: consider release of vulnerable prisoners, ensure quality health for those who remained detained & aggressively guard against spread. My thoughts in @daoudkuttab‘s piece https://arabnews.com/node/1660141/middle-east.” Shakir ignores that many of these prisoners were convicted of terrorism offenses, not for petty crimes. (April 17)
  • HRW published an article by its Research Assistant Abier Almasri titled “Locked Out of Gaza’s Permanent Lockdown.” (April 22).
  • Amnesty International: Amnesty International’s Gaza-based research consultant Hind Khoudary condemned, on Facebook, a Zoom webinar that took place between Palestinians and Israelis on the “12-year Israeli-Egyptian blockade and how the coronavirus is affecting things.” She tagged three Hamas officials, and soon after, the leader of the Gaza-based “Gaza Youth Committee,” the NGO that organized the webinar, was arrested by Hamas on charges of “holding a normalization activity.” Khoudary later stated she felt no shame “for fighting normalization with Israel.” (April 9)
  • A local Amnesty UK group in Mid Gloucestershire published an article using coronavirus as a hook to further Amnesty’s antisemitic campaign that attacks international tourism companies (see NGO Monitor’s report). The article states, “This year many people’s holiday plans will be affected by coronavirus, and travellers will obviously want to get proper advice before they book. However, holidaymakers should also consider whether their vacations could negatively impact the people and places they visit. One example is holidays and activities in Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem…Please support our petition calling on TripAdvisor to ‘check out’ of the settlements – www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/checkout.” (March 14)
  • Amnesty UK posted a short video singling out Israel as being solely responsible for Gaza’s wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amnesty denies Hamas and other actors’ agency for diverting resources to weapons, tunnels, and terror, instead of public infrastructure. (March 28).
  • Amnesty UK tweeted, “It’s a time of great uncertainty for people around the world. But for Palestinians living in occupied West Bank, measures imposed in the name of containing coronavirus are exacerbated by arbitrary & cruel restrictions that already affect their lives.” Of all the human rights needs, this tweet related to Israel’s “travel ban” on an Amnesty employee who was denied an exit permit from the West Bank for “security reasons.”
  • Al-Haq, Addameer, UAWC, PNGO, JLAC, among others: The group of Palestinian NGOs sent a letter to a number of UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders “Urgent Intervention Needed to Uphold the Rights and Dignity of Palestinian Workers Employed in Israel during the COVID-19 Pandemic” accusing Israel of being responsible for the fact that a number of Palestinians have contracted COVID-19, including blaming the death of one Palestinian woman on Israel noting that “She contracted the coronavirus from her son who works in Israel.” The letter makes outrageous claims against Israel and policies it has taken to ensure Palestinian workers remain employed and belittles collaboration efforts that are taking place between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (April 14).
  • Addameer: The PFLP-linked NGO Addameer posted an article on its website “Israeli Prison Services’ Measures in Regards to Covid-19,” stating, “At the moment, while the world is suffering from the pandemic, covid-19, Palestinian prisoners are still suffering medical negligence.” (March 16).
  • Addameer posted a cartoon video marking “Palestinian Prisoners Day” showing an Israeli soldier throwing a “COVID-19 grenade” into the cell of a Palestinian prisoner. (April 17).
  • Union of Agricultural Works Committee (UAWC): Published an “Update on the state of emergency in Palestine- COVID 19” on its website, detailing the PFLP-tied NGO’s coronavirus related activities. UAWC linked its crisis activities with its longtime advocacy, claiming, “we need to have sovereignty over natural resources, this concept that UAWC has been advocating for more than 17 years is vital to secure good quality food and \ maintain dignity for peasants.” UAWC also noted that it is partnering with another PFLP-tied NGO, UHWC.
  • Gisha: Gisha’s Director of International Relations published an article in Arab News “Israel must take responsibility for Gaza,” delegitimizing Israel’s security policies and ignoring the fact that Hamas is a violent and internationally designated terrorist organization. The author denies Hamas and other Palestinian actors agency for diverting resources to weapons, tunnels, and terror, instead of public infrastructure. She also pivots from her organization’s previous preemptive blaming of Israel for the potential spread of the pandemic in Gaza to a premature blaming of Israel for the “economic reverberations” that will be felt following the pandemic. (April 23)
  • Sent a letter to Israel’s Minister of Defense and COGAT demanding that Israel “remove ongoing restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of so-called ‘dual-use’ equipment and materials.” Gisha erases the common-sense reason for restrictions on dual-use materials: Hamas’ exploitation of them for manufacturing weapons, tunnels, rockets, and other items used in attacks against Israeli civilians. (April 1)
  • Gisha retweeted a video by AJ+ with the caption “Palestinians in Gaza are trying to prepare for the novel coronavirus outbreak. But the Israeli blockade is making it much harder.” (March 14)
  • Gisha Executive Director Tanya Harry tweeted, “Thankfully no known cases for now, but an outbreak could be devastating. I’m outraged that my govt imposed measures to deliberately bring Gaza to this point. When this ends, a reversal in policy is the only moral response…” (March 12)
  • Gisha published an article, “Crossings update: Israel to impose extensive travel restrictions at Erez Crossing over Coronavirus concerns,” belittling Israel’s policy of restricting access to its borders, including Gaza’s, in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. (March 11)
  • Samidoun: Samidoun, a group with noted ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terror group, posted an article on its website, “Israeli apartheid, COVID-19 and Palestinian prisoners: Freedom now!” The NGO claims that “Palestinian prisoners are continuing their struggle to confront Israel’s apartheid COVID-19 response that poses a threat to Palestinian prisoners and, indeed, all Palestinians. No Palestinian prisoners have yet been diagnosed with coronavirus, but their conditions of confinement present a serious concern.” (March 17).
  • In an article published on its website, Samidoun claims that “This year Palestinians in Gaza are forced into further isolation by the coronavirus pandemic compounded by an unabating Israeli siege which blocks access to and production of medical equipment…While hospitals in NYC are desperately are short on basic life-saving equipment the U.S. continues has to spend $3.8 billion/year on military funding for Israeli colonization of Palestine- further jeopardizing the lives of the people in the US who are in need of those funds, while materially supporting illegal Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestine.” (March 30).
  • According to its website, on April 16, Samidoun and a number of Toronto-based pro-BDS organizations hosted a webinar, “Contain the Pandemic, Free Palestine.” Samidoun arbitrarily links its standard anti-Israel agenda to the global pandemic, claiming that “As the Palestinian people brace for the impact of COVID-19, it is more urgent than ever to free all Palestinian prisoners, end the blockade on Gaza, and affirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. These measures of freedom and justice for Palestinians are a necessary precondition for containing the virus in Palestine and globally.” (April 16)
  • IfNotNow: IfNotNow launched a fundraising campaign, calling on its supporters to donate to anti-Israel group Medical Aid for Palestinians. In a tweet, IfNotNow states, “Many of us have had to cancel travel plans for Passover. In the spirit of collective liberation, we encourage you to donate some or all of what you would have spent on travel this week to @MedicalAidPal.” (April 6)
  • Tweeted “The coronavirus pandemic is threatening communities around the world. Israel’s blockade on Gaza already restricts access to clean water, food, electricity, and medical supplies; this will be all the more deadly in the case of a Covid-19 outbreak.” (April 6)
  • IfNotNow tweeted, “Israel’s brutal occupation makes this pandemic especially dangerous for Palestinians: restrictions on Gazans’ movement, a lack of essential supplies (including medicine), and high density confinement increases the threat of a COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza.” (March 13)
  • IfNotNow also tweeted, “Demolishing Palestinian homes will worsen the coronavirus spread. It was already inhumane to displace people, now it’s also an urgent matter of public health. The Israeli army must stop demolishing homes and focus on the health and wellness of all Israelis and Palestinians.” A second tweet added that “This is a moment to demand unity because this virus doesn’t recognize nationalities, borders or walls. We cannot afford to let those in power use this moment to further divide us.” (March 11)
  • Jewish Voice for Peace: Created a petition to “Tell Congress: End the Gaza blockade” because “COVID-19 is uniquely threatening to Palestinians in Gaza.”
  • JVP hosted a “virtual rally” titled “End the Blockade on Gaza” to “#SpreadSolidarityForGaza.” According to JVP, “During the rally, participants made signs and shared out a petition calling on U.S. Congress to tell Israel to end the blockade now. Over 15,000 have people signed the petition. A teach-in was also held to encourage all American participants to call their members of Congress and demand that they take action to end the blockade on Gaza.” Speakers included known anti-Israel and antisemitic activists, including Linda Sarsour, as well as individuals from the delegitimization NGOs Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). (March 30).
  • Tweeted “It’s horrific enough that Israel regularly imprisons and abuses Palestinian children. Under Covid-19 it’s an unconscionable nightmare – and a completely avoidable tragedy waiting to happen. We’re teaming up with @DCIPalestine – release all children.” JVP ignores the fact that Israeli military courts deal mainly with violent security offenses, including murder and attempted murder and the resulting security concerns related to the release of prisoners. It is also unclear how releasing minors would reduce their risks of contracting COVID-19. (April 29).
  • B’Tselem: Published an article on its website, “Abuse of Palestinians overrides fear of COVID-19,” claiming that arrests in Jerusalem “exposes residents to substantial, completely unnecessary health risks, as it encourages gatherings and forces arrested residents, including many minors, to leave home and be around strangers.” (March 19)
  • In a tweet promoting its article, B’Tselem blamed whatever potential spread of the coronavirus in Gaza on Israel, ignoring years of misappropriation of humanitarian aid by Hamas for terror. The tweet states, “COVID-19 in Gaza? After more than a decade of Israeli blockade – Israel will not be able to deflect the blame if this nightmare scenario turns into a reality that it created and made no effort to prevent.”
  • In a press release, “Israeli-made nightmare scenario: COVID-19 in Gaza,” B’Tselem falsely (on multiple accounts) alleged that “The Gaza Strip is now in the throes of a humanitarian disaster – created entirely by Israel.” (March 23).
  • B’Tselem tweeted, “As the whole world battles an unprecedented and paralyzing healthcare crisis – Israel confiscates tents designated for clinic in the Northern West Bank.” In response, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit explained that B’Tselem’s information was false: “We are sorry to see a Human Rights NGO choosing to exploit a global crisis to spread fake news” and that the “structure was a guarding post built illegally and without permits by a resident of Bardala, which is northeast of Nablus.” (March 26).
  • Published an article on its website “International Workers’ Day: Israel continues to abuse Palestinian workers’ rights during pandemic,” complaining about measures Israel took to simultaneously combat the spread of the virus and to keep Palestinians who were able to work employed. In an attempt to present the Palestinian case as unique and solely as a result of Israeli targeting, the article ignores the massive spike in unemployment both in Israel and around the world as a result of the pandemic and other hardships the global workforce is suffering. (April 30)
  • Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P): DCI-P issued a statement demanding that Israel “release all Palestinian child detainees in Israeli prisons due to the rapid global spread of the COVID-19 virus.” DCI-P, which regularly calls on Israel to release Palestinian children anyways, presents no evidence of an outbreak in Israeli prisons or unique risk to children therein. There is also no discussion of the risks to public safety should some of these criminals be released. (March 19)
  • Issued a statement “Palestinian children detained by Israel increases amid COVID-19 pandemic” reiterating its March call for the “for the immediate release of all Palestinian child detainees in Israeli prisons due to the rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus.” DCI-P misrepresents comments made by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. (April 21)
  • Palestinian Human Rights Organization Council (PHROC): PHROC sent letters to the International Committee of the Red Cross and to local diplomats demanding “the safety of Palestinian detainees and prisoners” and “their release to ensure their safety from the rapidly spreading pandemic.” (March 23).
  • UN-OCHA and EAPPI: In a report published by UN-OCHA, “COVID-19 Emergency Situation Report 1 (as of 1200 hrs, 24 March 2020),” OCHA claims that “The withdrawal of international protective presence actors in the West Bank has increased the exposure and vulnerability of some communities to settler violence. A key protective presence NGO (EAPPI) estimates that the suspension of its five teams will affect over 200 communities.” It is unclear how these advocacy volunteers would have aided Palestinians in efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 or how EAPPI’s “hands on” approach would be appropriate given the current context of the coronavirus.
  • American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): AFSC’s Jehad Abusalim published an article in +972 Magazine titled “Israel’s caging of Gaza is a recipe for coronavirus disaster.” The article claims that “The pandemic’s arrival threatens to make Gaza even more unlivable under Israeli siege” (March 22).
  • Students for Justice in Palestine: Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Maryland hosted an event “Corona and Countering the Occupation.” The poster advertising the event notes that issues discussed included “How is corona being handled in Palestine?” “How does occupation worsen the situation?” and “What is the best way to counter the occupation.” (March 10)
  • In response to Israel’s first coronavirus related death, who was an octogenarian Holocaust survivor, a former leader of New York University’s chapter of SJP retweeted a post about his passing with the caption, “anyway should I paint my nails red or green today” (March 20).
  • Africa for Palestine (formerly BDS South Africa): Issued a statement regarding COVID-19, stating, “we condemn the discriminatory way in which Israel has dealt with the Coronavirus by privileging how it treats hebrew speaking Israeli Jews in comparison to the indigenous arab speaking Palestinians” (March 17).
  • Holy Land Trust: Holy Land Trust posted a lengthy Facebook post describing Israel as a “killer virus.” The post states:

“Maybe such a raid is a reminder to all of us not to forget that while we are facing the physical dangers of the coronavirus, there is another virus that has existed in this world and has been slowly incubating and spreading itself in the hearts and minds of many. The virus that is at the core of all our epidemics and illnesses, the virus that breeds fear, hatred and mistrust amongst us, the virus that triggers racism, segregation, marginalization of others and the destruction of earth and its resources. It is the virus that might not kill us directly, but takes over our minds and makes us kill each other. It makes me see my religion and my God as better than yours, my race as purer than yours, my gender as superior to yours, and therefore justifies my violence towards you.Humanity must come together now to address both of these killer viruses, the one that is killing humans and the one that is killing our humanity.” (March 21).

  • Zochrot: Zochrot published an article “COVID-19 in times of settler colonialism. In Palestine, the Unequal Effects of an Epidemic,” claiming that “Israel [is] a settler colonial society.” The article compares Israel to various historical colonialist enterprises, and without providing any evidence of measures that might put Palestinians at risk draws a parallel to “Europe unwittingly exported smallpox and measles to the ‘New World’ and Africa via the slave trade, later adding malaria and yellow fever…” An example of Zochrot’s contradictory arguments is seen in the claim that “the notion of concern for Palestinian lives and medical cooperation seem absurd in a settler colonial setting… It is telling that the blockade and closing of checkpoints in Bethlehem was not followed by similar measures in Tel Aviv or other Israeli cities after similar numbers of patients were diagnosed.” (March).
  • Medical Aid for Palestinians: MAP Director of Programs published an opinion piece in the Independent under the headline, “If coronavirus can crush even well-equipped healthcare systems, imagine what could happen in Gaza.” The article blames Israel, exclusively, for problems with Gaza’s healthcare system while making no mention of Hamas and its prioritization of terror over humanitarian needs. (April 5)
  • MAP published a report and corresponding press release, “Chronic impunity for attacks is keeping Palestinian health workers in the firing line,” using COVID-19 as a hook for a report that has nothing to do with the pandemic. In the press release, MAP claims that “While the world celebrates fearless healthcare workers tackling the global Coronavirus pandemic, a new report has highlighted how chronic impunity for attacks on Palestinian health workers is keeping them in the firing line.” (March 30).
  • European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): ECFR published an article “Defeating Covid-19 in Gaza? Is it enough?” calling on Israel to allow “all vital humanitarian aid” into Gaza, including construction materials. ECFR also calls on Israel to make financial contributions to Gaza. In both instances, ECFR completely ignoring Hamas’ status as an internationally designated terrorist organization. (April 7)
  • ECFR’s policy fellow and “Israel/Palestine Project Coordinator” tweeted statistics regarding the number of ventilators per number of inhabitants in Israel, the UK, the West Bank, and Gaza, so as to argue that Israel’s number of ventilators per inhabitants in somehow unjust. NRC’s Itay Epshtain tweeted, “Israel is nearing 4,000 ventilators (and patient montiors, autosuctions, IV drip counters), and qualifed ICU personnel. No such surge capacity in #oPt. The occupying power remains ultimately responsible for the health of the population under it’s effective control.” This tweet denies Hamas’ and the PA’s responsibility for not prioritizing healthcare infrastructure in their budgets. (March 27).
  • NRC: Epshtain tweeted, “During the holy month of #Ramadan, amid the #COVID19 pandemic, #Israel has destroyed a record number of #Palestinian properties, including humanitarian aid provided by donor states, in breach of international humanitarian law #IHL.” The corresponding graphic provides no context for these allegations, suggesting that the increase in demolitions is due to an increase in building of illegal structures (including using the cover of COVID-19).
  • International Crisis Group: An article published in the German Junge Welt, “Pandemic under occupation,” quotes the International Crisis Group: “Health care has been paralyzed by the Israeli blockade for years and partially destroyed by the ongoing military attacks…Israel should lift the blockade and allow much-needed medical equipment and supplies to enter Gaza…As an occupying power, Israel has a duty to take care of the people under its control.” This statement ignores the fact that health care products are allowed in to Gaza, and the blockade specifically denies entry of terror-related goods and goods that could be used in such a way (“dual-use”). According to the IDF Spokesperson, no COVID-19 related products are denied entry to Gaza. (April 3)
  • US Campaign for Palestinian Human Rights: Launched a campaign to “Tell Congress! Defund the Israeli blockade of Gaza.” The NGO tweeted: “Our taxpayer $ should be invested in healthcare, not harm. From sanctions on Iran to the Gaza blockade, this pandemic highlights the cruelty of investing in militarism instead of our communities. DEMAND to #DefundGazaBlockade/invest in #HealthcareForAll.” (March 31).
  • BDS Movement: The BDS Movement is hosting a “webinar for Israel Apartheid Week” titled “Security, Racism and Solidarity in The time of Global Pandemics.” (April 2).
  • Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), Al-Haq, and others: A group of anti-Israel activists, including repeat offender Mads Gilbert, published an open letter in The Lancet titled “Structural violence in the era of a new pandemic: the case of the Gaza Strip” and attacking “Israeli oppression and international complicity.” Ironically, the letter, which has since been removed by The Lancet, calls for Palestinians to “return” to Israel precisely when Israel is suffering from a much higher rate of infection than Gaza. The authors shamefully declare “no competing interests,” hiding their years of virulent anti-Israel advocacy behind a pledge of scientific objectivity. (March 27).
  • Combatants for Peace: On its Facebook page, Combatants for Peace quotes a “former military officer” condemning the IDF and claiming that “One thing is clear: the Coronavirus will come and go. But the Occupation is trying to stay. The Occupation is a dangerous and brutal epidemic. Corona does not discriminate, but the Occupation does, and it finds more and more ways to justify its criminal acts. Unlike the Coronavirus, the Occupation is wholly an act of man and is subject to our control.” (April 10)
  • PHR-I: PHR-I sent out an email to its supporters, “Corona Spreading in Jails: Should Worry Us All,” that makes a number of apparent contradictions. On one hand. PHR-I claims that Israel is responsible for the health care of Palestinian inmates, and on the other it condemns measures, such as restrictions on family visits, meant to curb the spread of the violence. PHR-I also claims that the Israeli Prison Services operate in “a shroud of secrecy” but then claims that the prions have “no contingency plan” for a scenario where medical prison staff must self-isolate. (April 6)
  • As quoted in an article, “Doctors Warn of Gaza Strip’s Collapse After First Coronavirus Cases Surface” published in Haaretz, PHR-I claimed that the management of the COVID-19 response in Gaza is dependent on Israel and its cooperation with Hamas entities. The PHR-I official falsely stated, “In light of the ongoing siege, Israel is responsible by virtue of international law to provide the required means to the Health Ministry in Gaza.” (March 23).
  • Yesh Din: Yesh Din participated in a webinar hosted by Foundation for Middle East Peace titled “COVID-19 and the Settlements.” During the webinar, Yesh Din referred to Israel as an “apartheid regime” and emphasized that there was an Israeli “ideological purpose to take over these [Palestinian] lands and do whatever you need to do to do it.” Yesh Din’s executive director, also claimed, without providing further details, that COVID-19 policies for Israelis are different than those for Palestinians. (April 7)
  • 18 Israeli and International NGOs, including HRW, PHR-I, B’Tselem, Gisha, and Oxfam: 18 NGOs, many of which are involved in delegitimization campaigns against Israel, published a statement calling on “Israel to lift the 13-year closure on Gaza so that inter aliaGaza can equip itself with the necessary medical supplies.” The NGOs fail to note that no COVID-19 or medical supplies are currently prohibited from entering Gaza, except the X-ray machine – a “dual-use” item that can be used for terror purposes. Additionally, the NGOs fail to attribute any agency for protecting the health of Palestinians to the PA or Hamas. (April 7).
  • Addameer and Al-Haq: Addameer and Al-Haq sent a joint letter to five UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders, calling for “intervention” and for the “release all Palestinian political prisoners from Israeli prisons to ensure their safety from an uncontrolled COVID-19 spread…” The letter condemns, instead of applauding, measures Israel has taken to limit the spread of the virus such as restricting visits. These NGOs also include convicted terrorists in the “political prisoners” category. (April 1)
  • Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME): CJPME sent an email to its supporters calling on them to donate funds to its “Palestine Medical Relief Campaign” to “procure medical equipment for use in Palestinian public health facilities during the global Coronavirus crisis.” However, CJPME notes that it has “has not yet determined what medical supplies will be sent to Palestine.” (April 16).
  • Intal: Belgian NGO Intal posted on Facebook a call for the multinational insurance firm AXA to “Stop investing in Israeli apartheid.” Intal argued that AXA’s investment in Elbit Systems and Israeli banks provides “impunity for the occupation” that it is “responsible the Palestinian health system’s failure to responds to COVID-19.” (April 1)
  • Al-Haq: Published an article “COVID-19 and Apartheid: Living with Rights Denials, Arbitrariness, and Fear” decrying Israeli measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and claiming that “Allowing extraordinary measures to be used as a pretext in the fight against the coronavirus, Israel has drawn on decades of so-called counter-terrorism measures, which have entrenched Israel’s system of control over Palestinians.” (April 1)
  • Published an article, “Israel’s Gross Violations of Human Rights in the Face of COVID-19,” alleging that “While the world is collectively dealing with the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Israel has continued its systemic and widespread campaign of violating the rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), across both the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.” (April 2)
  • NRC: Published a statement, “Israel’s destruction of Palestinian property undermines efforts to curb Covid-19,” linking its standard anti-Israel advocacy to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement claims that “Israel’s recent targeting of homes and even water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in the occupied West Bank violates international law and undermines efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.” (April 15)
  • Al Mezan: Published a press release, “Press Release: Reporting Shows that Psychosocial Support is Needed for Children in Gaza’s Quarantine Centers,” solely blaming Israel for the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza. As opposed to medical supplies, Al Mezan calls for “means of entertainment and cognitive stimulation, like storybooks, coloring books, crayons, etc. must be made available” and lobbies for “governmental institutions and NGOs managing the current crisis should provide mental health programs and educational/entertainment activities for children held in the quarantine centers.” (April 9)
    • Published a news brief “Al Mezan raises key remarks on quarantine measures to the Ministry of Health in Gaza” praising Hamas efforts to combat COVID-19 as “remarkable.”
  • Gisha, Adalah, and Al Mezan: The three NGOs sent an “urgent appeal” to Israeli authorities “demanding that they immediately reveal information with regard to Israel’s response to the spread of coronavirus in the Gaza Strip” and rescind “all existing restrictions on the transfer of donations and medical equipment from foreign countries and international organizations.” The organizations  completely ignore Israel’s security concerns over Hamas’ rule of Gaza, weapons smuggling, and tunnel building. 
  • WCLAC and Al Mezan: On April 21, Randa Siniora (WCLAC) and Issam Younis (Al Mezan) participated in CERIPP’s conference titled “The COVID-19 pandemic under occupation.” During the event, Siniora stated that the “Israeli occupying authority is ignoring completely their legal obligations under international law, international human rights, and humanitarian law” and Palestinian women are “being affected disproportionally by Covid-19 and the Israeli occupation.” Younis added that Gaza is “one of the largest open air prisons in the world” and placed sole blame on Israel and the blockade for the continuation of the conflict. 
  • Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC): Published a “fact sheet” titled “Coronavirus under Israeli Apartheid” promoting numerous claims that, since their original publication, have been removed or proven false. BDS Movement also draws false parallels to minority communities in the US and the UK, in order to make the claim that Israeli policies “embody” something called “#CoronaRacism.” (April 20)
  • Tweeted “Palestinians living under Israeli occupation & apartheid are highly vulnerable to #COVID19, because Israel’s settler-colonial regime has systematically devastated our healthcare systems. Cut the ties of complicity & build bonds of solidarity through #BDS! #HealthcareNotWarfare.” BNC, as usual, denies Palestinian agency over their own healthcare systems (per the Oslo Accords) and ignores the misappropriation of resources by Hamas for terror. (May 5)
  • Independent Jewish Voices (IJV): Published a statement on its website “To Avoid a COVID-19 Crisis in Palestine, Israel Must Immediately End the Siege of Gaza,” “calling on the Canadian government and civil society to put the utmost pressure on Israel to end its siege on the Gaza Strip and alleviate travel restrictions in the occupied West Bank, which threaten the Palestinian healthcare system and could lead to a severe outbreak of COVID-19” (emphasis added). The statement is overtly political and has nothing to do with safeguarding the health of Palestinians. The demand to loosen travel restrictions on Gaza, at a time when governments around the world are using travel restrictions to protect the health of their populations, would increase the risk to Palestinians. IJV also uses race-baiting, citing a Palestinian individual who falsely and offensively claims that “the reason we’re suffering, and why we’re not getting proper treatment for the virus, is because we weren’t born to Jewish mothers. Think about it. If I, Khalil, had been born to a Jewish mother, my health might be better and I would have access to treatments” (emphasis added). (April 27)
  • CodePink: CodePink National Co-Director Ariel Gold tweeted, “Unfortunately Israel’s war crimes haven’t slowed down for the COVID-19 pandemic and so neither can our work for Palestinian rights.” Gold also calls on her supporters to reach out if they have “any creative ways to resist in these times” (May 1).
  • New Israel Fund (NIF): Created a new webpage “NIF Crisis Action Plan,” recasting NIF’s standard organizational focus under the label of “Crisis Action Plan.”
  • Al-Haq, Adalah, and Mondoweiss: Hosted a joint webinar “The Israeli Occupation is alive and well under COVID-19 lockdown,” exploiting the global pandemic in order to further the NGOs’ standard anti-Israel advocacy.
  • UNICEF: Tweeted “In line with UNICEF’s global #COVID19 call, the Palestinian Authority and authorities in #Gaza have released all detained children, barring those accused of egregious crimes. UNICEF asks that Israeli authorities also release all detained children, including Palestinian children.” UNICEF ignores that due to the fact that Israel primarily has jurisdiction over security related offenses for crimes committed by Palestinian children in the West Bank, the Palestinian children in Israeli prisons would be serving sentences for “egregious crimes” and, by UNICEF’s own logic, should therefore not be released.
  • Al-Haq and numerous other Palestinian and international NGOs: Sent a letter to the International Labour Organization (ILO) “Ref: Joint Open Letter – Protection of Palestinian Workers During and After COVID-19,” that furthers the standard anti-Israel rhetoric of the NGO authors in claiming that “In Palestine, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront Israel’s regime of institutionalised racial domination and oppression over the Palestinian people as a whole, which amounts to the crime of apartheid.” The letter condemns Israeli measures that allowed Palestinians to continue working and earning an income during the pandemic and goes so far as to call on the ILO to bring Israel before its “committee of experts” for claimed violations of Palestinian labor rights. (May 4)