Israel Helps PA With Foot-And-Mouth Disease
Israel Helps PA With Foot-And-Mouth Disease
Despite Palestinian media reports blaming Israel for the suspected outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Palestinian areas, Israeli authorities handed over to Palestinian Authority officials 220,000 vaccines to inoculate their herds against the virus on Sunday morning.
The PA will take blood samples drawn from livestock suspected of having the disease and send them for testing by Israels Agriculture Ministry. According to Palestinian reports, there are 13 suspected cases, some in the Hebron area. Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon was to meet today with his PA counterpart, Hikmat Zaid, to discuss the issue and necessary assistance.
Israeli security sources, however, condemned Palestinian media reports blaming Israel for the suspected outbreak. The reports claimed that the imposed restrictions on Palestinian-controlled areas by Israel had prevented the access of medical teams to check livestock, and that vaccines had been unobtainable due to Israel’s refusal to transfer funds to the PA.
Yarden Vatikai, spokesman for the coordinator of government activities in the territories, denied the reports. “Humanitarian and medical assistance have never been barred by Israel, and no requests were received from PA officials regarding the issue,” he said. “As for the attempts to blame Israel for preventing Palestinian officials from obtaining the vaccine, this is ridiculous. The PA has never had any such vaccine even before the current violence. Israel made the offer to the PA,” Vatikai said.
“Palestinian veterinary teams can move freely in the different areas without any problem,” said Cpt. Peter Lerner, spokesman of the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria.
In response to the suspected outbreak, Jordan is barring the import of cattle and sheep from Palestinian territories out of concern the contagion could spread east across the border, the Agriculture Ministry in Amman announced Sunday.
Used with Permission from International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.