通過耶路撒冷郵報STAFF，路透

2021年4月3日01:16

華盛頓-美國國務卿 安東尼·布林肯 週五對以色列總理說，以色列人和巴勒斯坦人應享受自由，安全，繁榮與民主的“平等措施”。

布林肯的言論更多地反映了對巴勒斯坦人的關注，而不是美國總統喬·拜登的共和黨前任唐納德·川普實施的親以色列政策。

布林肯在與以色列外交大臣加比·阿什肯納齊的電話交談中指出了這一點。

國務院發言人內德·普萊斯（Ned Price）的聲明說，兩國領導人討論了地區安全挑戰，對巴勒斯坦人民的人道主義援助以及與阿拉伯和穆斯林多數國家的關係正常化。

特朗普去年幫助達成了以色列與阿拉伯聯合酋長國，巴林，蘇丹和摩洛哥之間的正常化協議。拜登尚未將重點放在將更多國家/地區添加到列表中。一些阿拉伯國家希望在達成協議之前看到以色列和巴勒斯坦之間的長期爭端得到解決。

普賴斯說：“秘書強調布希政府的信念，即以色列人和巴勒斯坦人應享有平等的自由，安全，繁榮與民主措施。”

他說，布林肯重申了美國“對以色列及其安全的堅定承諾，並期待加強美以夥伴關係的所有方面”。

週五晚些時候，總統拜登宣布美國將 取消 對國際刑事法院的製裁，這是在特朗普執政期間宣布的。

布林肯說，即使華盛頓繼續“強烈不同意國際刑事法院在阿富汗和巴勒斯坦局勢方面的行動，”華盛頓仍在採取措施。

Blinken puts more focus on Palestinians, security in call to Ashkenazi

Later on Friday, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be lifting its sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which were announced during the Trump administration.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

APRIL 3, 2021 01:16

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Israeli counterpart on Friday that Israelis and Palestinians should enjoy "equal measures" of freedom, security, prosperity and democracy.

Blinken's comments reflected more of a focus on the Palestinians than the pro-Israel policy conducted by US President Joe Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

Blinken made the point in a phone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

A statement from State Department spokesman Ned Price said the two leaders discussed regional security challenges, humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people, and the normalization of relations with Arab and Muslim majority countries.

Trump last year helped seal normalization deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Biden has yet to focus heavily on adding more countries to the list. Some Arab countries want to see the long-standing dispute between Israel and the Palestinians resolved before agreeing to a deal.

"The secretary emphasized the administration’s belief that Israelis and Palestinians should enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity, and democracy," Price said.

He said Blinken reiterated the United States’ "strong commitment to Israel and its security and looks forward to strengthening all aspects of the US-Israel partnership."

Later on Friday, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be lifting its sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which were announced during the Trump administration.

Blinken said Washington was taking the step even though it continued "to disagree strongly with the ICC's actions relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations."

由YONAH JEREMY BOB

2021年4月2日11:28

即使在美國核外交的壓力下屈服，伊朗仍試圖聽起來強硬，並同意在周四晚些時候加入對2015年核協議的重新談判。

週四晚間，伊斯蘭共和國宣布將與英國，法國，德國，中國和俄羅斯舉行虛擬會議，以製定戰略，使美國和美國重返2015年核協議，這表明德黑蘭正感到壓力，需要表現出一定的靈活性。

同時，導致談判的所有當前邊緣政策並不意味著交易已經完成。就美國國務卿安東尼·布林肯而言，達成談判的目的只是“起飛”，而最終協議則是最重要的“著陸”。

到目前為止，德黑蘭的立場是不需要進行談判，並且拒絕了美國提出的三項重啟直接談判的提議。

相反，它先前曾說過，所需要做的只是美國取消所有經濟制裁，然後伊朗將恢復該交易的核協議。

這將使伊斯蘭共和國擁有一切必要的槓桿作用，以防止任何後續談判來延長和加強這筆交易，正如拜登政府表示將致力於這樣做。

伊斯蘭共和國可能會花點時間。據估計，出售多餘的濃縮鈾將需要幾個月的時間。

它也可能試圖保留它已經開發的一些額外的先進離心機，這違反了核協議，即使這些離心機是暫時和名義上拆卸的也是如此。

由於這些問題，華盛頓一直堅持要求雙方按順序返回該協議。

這將使美國能夠緩和一些制裁措施，直到阿亞圖拉同意在設定的時限內進行後續談判，如果伊朗拒絕延長和加強交易，美國可以撤回制裁。

伊朗與其他五個大國達成的與美國進行談判的協議表明，伊朗總統哈桑·魯哈尼（Hassan Rouhani）擔心，他沒有足夠的時間來確保在6月該國大選前至少達成某種臨時協議。

說這是面子，說他們在接近恢復交易之前不會直接與美國進行談判-但不要誤會-這意味著所有方面都在談判，無論誰可能在虛擬地進行調整。

觀察者不應以與伊朗的核凝視競賽以伊朗首先畏縮而告終，這並不讓觀察家感到驚訝。

在拜登就職之前，伊朗只給了他幾週時間來滿足其所有要求，當時包括支付賠償金和放棄對製裁實施制裁的權力，然後設定了幾週後的新截止日期，去。

伊朗也大多忽略了它設定的停止國際原子能機構檢查的截止日期，達成了一項面子大的協議，在該協議中伊朗將視察減少了一點，但在其中，國際原子能機構仍在觀察所有關鍵設施的進展，並繼續提供定期更新新的伊朗違法行為。

雙方談判有序回報而無需美伊之間直接開會可能是達成某種臨時框架（“起飛”）以最終達成一項新協議和附加協議（“著陸”）的公式。在美國中期選舉之前的2021年下半年或2022年中期。

耶路撒冷需要小心，不要對德黑蘭首先陷落感到過分自信。

所有這一切仍然僅是談判框架，伊斯蘭共和國在此後期的外交博弈中處於最佳狀態，當另一方過於承諾不能輕易撤離時，它提出了新的要求。

拜登政府在此之前可以一直保持對伊朗的製裁槓桿作用，這可以說是功不可沒，而伊朗的“眨眼”是一個良好的開端。

但是，堅持“著陸”的艱苦工作才剛剛開始。

Iran blinks first, but real challenge still ahead for nuclear talks

Until now, Tehran's position has been that there is no need for negotiations. It has rejected three offers by the US to restart talks.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB

APRIL 2, 2021 11:28

Iran attempted to sound tough even as it buckled under the pressure of the US's nuclear diplomacy, and agreed to join renegotiations of the 2015 nuclear deal late Thursday.

Once again, Iran has blinked first when trying stare down the United States.

The announcement late Thursday night that the Islamic Republic will hold a virtual meeting with England, France, Germany, China and Russia to strategize how it and the US can return to the 2015 nuclear deal, shows Tehran is feeling pressure to show some flexibility.

At the same time, all the current brinkmanship that led to the negotiations doesn't mean the deal is done. Arriving to the point of negotiations is but the "takeoff," and the final agreement the all-important "landing," in the terminology of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Israel will need to watch maneuvers at both stages even if it seems that the US may temporarily have the upper-hand with the ayatollahs.

Until now, Tehran's position has been that there is no need for negotiations and has rejected three offers by the US to restart direct talks.

Rather, it previously said that all that is needed is the US to lift all economic sanctions and then Iran will return to the deal's nuclear limits.

This would have given the Islamic Republic all the leverage it needed to prevent any follow-up negotiations to lengthen and strengthen the deal as the Biden administration has said it is committed to doing.

The Islamic Republic could take its time; estimates are that it will take a few months to sell off its excess enriched uranium.

It could also try to keep some additional advanced centrifuges it has developed in violation of the nuclear deal, even if they are temporarily and nominally disassembled.

Because of these issues, Washington has insisted on a sequenced return of both sides to the deal.

This would allow the US to hold some sanctions relief off until the ayatollahs agree to follow-up negotiations with a set time limit by which the US could snap back sanctions if Iran refuses lengthening and strengthening the deal.

Iran's agreement to negotiate with the US, through the other five powers, shows Iran President Hassan Rouhani is worried he is running out of time to secure at least some kind of interim deal before his country's elections in June.

It is a face-saving move by saying they are not negotiating directly with the US until it is closer to returning to the deal - but make no mistake - it means all sides are negotiating regardless of who might be tuning in virtually.

It should not surprise observers that the nuclear staring contest with the US ended with Iran flinching first.

Before Biden took office, Iran gave him only a few weeks to meet all of its demands, which back then included paying compensation and giving up the power to snapback sanctions, then setting a new deadline of a few weeks later, which has also came and went.

Iran also mostly ignored a deadline it set to stop IAEA inspections, reaching a face-saving deal in which it reduced inspections just by a little, but in which the IAEA is still getting to see progress in all key facilities and continues to provide regular updates of new Iranian violations.

Negotiating a sequenced return by both sides without direct meetings between the US and Iran may be the formula for reaching some kind of interim framework ("the takeoff") for eventually reaching a new deal and add-on deal (the "landing") in late 2021 or mid-2022, before US midterm elections.

Jerusalem needs to be careful not to become overconfident about Tehran caving first.

All of this is still only about the framework for negotiations and the Islamic Republic is at its best playing this late diplomacy game, pulling out new demands when the other side is too committed to simply walk away.

The Biden administration can take some credit for maintaining its sanctions leverage over Iran up until this point, and Iran's "blinking" is a good beginning.

But the hard work of sticking the "landing" is just starting.

由路透社

2021年4月2日02:26

莫斯科/基輔-俄羅斯週四警告稱，由於北約對它在烏克蘭東部附近有龐大的俄羅斯軍事力量集結表示擔憂，頓巴斯衝突的嚴重升級有可能“摧毀”烏克蘭。

未經證實的社交媒體錄像表明，俄羅斯一直在將大量坦克，裝甲運兵車和其他設備運至與烏克蘭接壤的地區以及克里米亞，克里米亞於2014年從烏克蘭吞併了克里米亞。

俄羅斯的活動給美國總統拜登（Joe Biden）的政府提出了早期挑戰，本週與烏克蘭高級官員通了電話，公開展示了對總統沃洛德米爾·澤倫斯基（Volodymyr Zelenskiy）政府的支持。

一位歐盟外交官說：“在某種程度上，這是慣常的戰術，通過調高和調低衝突來造成動盪，以表明俄羅斯是關鍵角色。” “我們不能排除拜登的總統職位是俄羅斯演算的一部分，現在是莫斯科展現一點力量的時候了。”

莫斯科和基輔長期以來一直互相指責對方未對頓巴斯執行和平協議。由於通往德國的北溪2天然氣管道的命運（基輔和華盛頓希望制止）以及烏克蘭對與俄羅斯關係密切的一位著名商人的鎮壓，兩國的關係進一步緊張。

北約表示，俄羅斯對俄羅斯的軍事集結感到擔憂，因為北約大使們開會討論東頓巴斯地區最近的暴力激增。烏克蘭軍隊在一次沖突中與俄羅斯支持的分離主義勢力進行了戰鬥。基輔估計，自2014年以來，該組織已經造成1.4萬人喪生。

五角大樓說，美國國防部長勞埃德·奧斯丁（Lloyd Austin）與烏克蘭外長安德烈·塔蘭（Andrii Taran）進行了交談，並譴責了俄羅斯最近在烏克蘭東部採取的侵略和挑釁行動的升級。

奧斯丁在推特上說：“我重申我們堅定地支持烏克蘭的主權，領土完整和歐洲大西洋的願望。”

烏克蘭外交大臣庫米（Dmytro Kuleba）指責俄羅斯在頓巴斯（Donbass）和克里米亞（克里米亞）的安全局勢“系統惡化”。

克里姆林宮發言人德米特里·佩斯科夫（Dmitry Peskov）淡化了集結，說：“這不應該打擾任何人，對任何人都不會構成威脅”。他說，俄羅斯正在採取措施確保自己邊境的安全。

佩斯科夫說：“北約，其他聯盟，個別國家在俄羅斯邊界的活動有所增加，這一切都迫使我們保持警惕。”

俄羅斯外長拉夫羅夫說，烏克蘭大部分軍人似乎都理解頓巴斯的“熱衝突”的危險。

拉夫羅夫說：“我非常希望他們不會受到政客的'煽動'，反過來又會受到以美國為首的西方'煽動'的。”

“俄羅斯總統普京不久前說過這一點，但今天的聲明仍然有意義，那些試圖在頓巴斯發動新戰爭的人將摧毀烏克蘭。”

北約關注

北約官員告訴路透社，莫斯科正在破壞烏克蘭東部的和平努力。

這位官員說：“盟國對俄羅斯最近在烏克蘭及其周圍進行的大規模軍事活動表示關切。盟國還對俄羅斯違反2020年7月停火令上週四名烏克蘭士兵死亡的行為表示關注。”

烏克蘭，西方國家和北約指責俄羅斯派遣部隊和重型武器來支持其在頓巴斯的代理人，頓巴斯於2014年佔領了烏克蘭東部。

俄羅斯說，它只在分裂為內部衝突的情況下向分離主義戰鬥人員提供政治和人道主義支持。

烏克蘭軍事情報部門指控俄羅斯進行了工程挑釁，以此為藉口將更多的俄羅斯軍事單位派往頓巴斯。

它說：“此外，不排除將俄羅斯佔領軍深入烏克蘭的企圖。”

Russia warns Donbass conflict could 'destroy' Ukraine, NATO rebukes Moscow

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of a "systemic aggravation" of the security situation in Donbass and Crimea.

By REUTERS

APRIL 2, 2021 02:26

MOSCOW/KYIV - Russia warned on Thursday that a serious escalation in the conflict in Donbass could "destroy" Ukraine as NATO voiced concern over what it said was a big Russian military build-up near eastern Ukraine.

Unverified social media footage has suggested Russia has been moving large quantities of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other equipment to regions that border Ukraine as well as to Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The Russian activity poses an early challenge to U.S. President Joe Biden's administration, which this week held phone calls with senior Ukrainian officials in a public show of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government.

"Partly, it is the usual tactics, turning up and down the conflict to create instability, to show that Russia is a key player," said one EU diplomat. "We cannot exclude that Biden's presidency is part of the Russian calculus, that it's time for Moscow to show a bit of muscle."

Moscow and Kyiv have long accused each other of failing to implement a peace deal over Donbass. Relations are further strained by the fate of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, which Kyiv and Washington want to halt, and by a crackdown in Ukraine on a prominent businessman close to Russia.

NATO said it was concerned about the Russian military build-up as NATO ambassadors met to discuss a recent spike in violence in the eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops have battled Russian-backed separatist forces in a conflict Kyiv estimates has killed 14,000 people since 2014.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Taran, and "condemned recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine," the Pentagon said.

"I reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations," Austin said on Twitter.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of a "systemic aggravation" of the security situation in Donbass and Crimea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the build-up, saying "this should not bother anyone and it poses no threat to anyone". Russia was taking measures to ensure the security of its own borders, he said.

"There is increased activity on the perimeter of Russia's borders by NATO, other alliances, individual countries - it all obliges us to be vigilant," said Peskov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that most of Ukraine's military appeared to understand the danger of a "hot conflict" in Donbass.

"I very much hope that they will not be 'incited' by politicians, who in turn will be 'incited' by the West, led by the United States," said Lavrov.

"Russian President Putin said (this) not long ago, but this statement is still relevant today, that those who would try to start a new war in Donbass - will destroy Ukraine."

NATO CONCERN

A NATO official told Reuters that Moscow was undermining peace efforts in eastern Ukraine.

"Allies shared their concerns about Russia's recent large scale military activities in and around Ukraine. Allies are also concerned about Russian violations of the July 2020 ceasefire that led to the death of four Ukrainian soldiers last week," the official said.

Ukraine, Western countries and NATO accuse Russia of sending troops and heavy weapons to prop up its proxies in Donbass who seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Russia says it only provides political and humanitarian support to separatist fighters in what it casts as an internal conflict.

Ukrainian military intelligence accused Russia of engineering provocations to create a pretext to send additional Russian military units to Donbass.

"In addition, an attempt to advance Russian occupation forces deep into Ukraine is not ruled out," it said.

隨著公眾健康和個人選擇之間的辯論開始在法庭上展開，人權組織呼籲“綠色通行證”系統通過立法程序

由宜蘭奔錫安 今天下午3:10 0

2021年3月31日逾越節假期期間的耶路撒冷（Olivier Fitoussi / Flash90）

美聯社-在過去一年的大部分時間裡，特拉維夫的化妝師Artyom Kavnatsky準備恢復工作。但是當他出現以拍攝最近的照片時，他的老闆拒絕了他。原因？他尚未接種過冠狀病毒疫苗。

卡夫納茨基說：“他沒有帶我，因為我沒有接種疫苗。” “這是歧視，這並不好。”

以色列進行疫苗接種的步伐迅捷，使其成為少數能夠重返大流行前常規的少數國家之一。以色列的酒吧和企業，旅館和健身俱樂部都迅速恢復了生機，那里大約80％的成年人口已完全接種疫苗，新感染和COVID-19死亡人數直線下降。

以色列瞥見了高接種率可能帶來的影響，但同時也提供了對即將出現的問題的洞察力：工作場所和學校現在正在努力應對那些拒絕接種疫苗的人，這是流感大流行的下一階段再次將公共衛生問題置於個人權利之上，並可能提出新的公平問題。一個案件已經在法庭上結案，而其他案件則有望結案。

在2021年3月11日，當局向“綠色通行證”持有者重新開放餐館，酒吧和咖啡館後，人們在耶路撒冷主要市場的一家餐館用餐。（Emmanuel DUNAND /法新社）

航空公司已經在考慮旅行是否需要進行疫苗接種或近期的陰性測試，歐洲聯盟也是如此。英國和美國的一些官員正在研究免疫證明是否可以幫助大型聚會返回，儘管美國仍然強烈反對採取此類措施。恢復工作或上課是否需要拍攝是一個更加棘手的問題。

在許多國家，這些決定可能會帶來根據財富和疫苗獲得途徑進一步劃分人群的前景。雖然居住在西岸並擁有以色列工作許可證的10萬巴勒斯坦人中的絕大多數已經接種了疫苗，但在西岸和加沙的免疫接種活動卻遠遠落後。世界上許多地方都很少接受（如果有的話）疫苗。

到目前為止，以色列主要依靠一系列旨在鼓勵人們獲得疫苗的獎勵措施。它為完全接種疫苗的人建立了“綠色通行證”，持票人可以參加音樂會，用餐，去健身房或前往埃及，塞浦路斯和希臘等地的熱門度假勝地。沒有通行證的人不走運。

2021年3月25日，以色列球迷在以色列和丹麥之間在特拉維夫舉行的2022年世界杯F組排位賽足球比賽前，以色列球迷歡呼（AP Photo / Ariel Schalit）

該系統在休閒和娛樂領域運行良好。但是現在，它正在進入其他領域。衛生官員建議禁止從學校，老人護理設施和其他高風險工作場所未經疫苗接種的工人，這些工人最近未檢測出COVID-19陰性。

以色列的衛生保健系統還要求所有僱員-醫生，護士，行政管理人員和支持人員-都應接受冠狀病毒疫苗。如果他們拒絕，他們將被轉移到不涉及高危患者的工作中。

人權組織對此類規定可能危害工人的收入表示關注。

在教育中也存在類似的問題。以色列最大的特拉維夫大學目前已找到一個不平衡的平衡。

隨著大學恢復面對面的課堂教學，其副校長埃亞爾·齊瑟（Eyal Zisser）說，只有接受過疫苗接種的學生才能當場。那些不是的人可以繼續遠程學習。

齊瑟說：“在最初階段，我們將按照綠色通行證帶回一些學生，並使其餘學生可以上課。”

2021年3月30日逾越節假期期間的特拉維夫港口（Miriam Alster / FLASH90）

即使以色列取得了成功，數十萬人仍未接種疫苗-有些人總體上反對疫苗，但許多人卻猶豫不決地拍攝如此迅速的疫苗。聯合國，美國和歐洲的健康專家表示，以色列授權的疫苗是安全有效的。

化妝師卡夫納斯基（Kavnatsky）更廣泛地反對疫苗和現代醫學，他說他不想“在我的身上紮任何針”。他並不孤單。他是希伯來語反疫苗Facebook小組的15,000多名成員之一，這些成員對政府認為的國家強制免疫持批評態度。

由直率的反疫苗倡導者阿里·阿夫尼（Aryeh Avni）領導的政黨拉珀（Rappeh）在上週舉行的議會選舉中獲得了17,000多張選票。這不足以進入議會，但說明了政策制定者所面臨的挑戰。

以色列衛生部承認其權力有限。

外交部國際關係部副主任埃納夫·西姆隆（Einav Shimron）說：“我們不能強迫人們接種疫苗。”

負責勞工問題的非政府組織以​​色列民權協會說，長期使用綠色通行證會引發潛在的民權問題，並呼籲政府就此事通過立法。

“如果有一項政策侵犯了就業權，並且侵犯了一個人選擇要對其身體進行處理以被雇用的權利，那麼它就需要經過立法程序，”發言人瑪雅·弗里德（Maya Fried）說。“需要進行公開討論。”

2021年2月25日，耶路撒冷的Clalit疫苗接種中心（Olivier Fitoussi / Flash90）

同時，辯論已經在法庭上進行了。

在有關該主題的第一個重大決定中，特拉維夫市勞動法院在三月份允許日託中心禁止拒絕接受疫苗接種或接受冠狀病毒檢測的助教。該決定有望上訴。

Nadav Davidovitch教授。（禮貌）

以色列公共衛生醫師協會主席Nadav Davidovitch博士說，他認為人們有接種疫苗的義務，特別是鑑於有證據表明該疫苗不僅可以預防COVID-19的最壞結果，而且還可以減少疫苗的傳播病毒。自大流行開始以來，以色列有930萬人的記錄，至少有6220人死亡。

他說：“我們認為疫苗接種是一種團結行動，而不僅僅是個人選擇。”

不過，他說他反對強迫接種疫苗或因為拒絕拒絕而解僱人。相反，他贊成從教育到說服的替代方法。那些繼續拒絕的人可能會被賦予不同的工作，遠程工作或接受頻繁的測試。

前軍事流行病學家戴維多維奇（Davidovitch）對此問題有經驗。他說，以色列新兵中有90％以上不想入伍時都接受了疫苗接種，最終他們同意接受醫學專家的教育。

他說：“我認為迅速採取強迫行動是一個壞主意。” “大多數人都猶豫不決。他們一般不反對疫苗接種。”

Israeli employers grapple with dilemma of unvaccinated workers

As debate between public health and personal choice begins to play out in courts, rights group calls for ‘Green Pass’ system to go through legislative process

By ILAN BEN ZION Today, 3:10 pm 0

Jerusalem during the Passover holiday, March 31, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

AP — After spending much of the past year in lockdown, Tel Aviv makeup artist Artyom Kavnatsky was ready to get back to work. But when he showed up for a recent photo shoot, his employer turned him away. The reason? He had not been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“He didn’t take me because I didn’t get vaccinated,” Kavnatsky said. “It’s discrimination, and it’s not all right.”

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The breakneck pace of Israel’s vaccination drive has made it one of the few countries able to return to much of its pre-pandemic routine. Bars and businesses, hotels and health clubs have all sprung back to life in Israel, where some 80% of the adult population is fully vaccinated and new infections and COVID-19 deaths have plummeted.

While Israel provides a glimpse of what may be possible with high immunization rates, it also offers insight into the problems that lie ahead: Workplaces and schools are now grappling with what to do with those who refuse to get vaccinated as the next phase in the pandemic again pits public health concerns against individual rights and possibly new questions of equity. One case has already ended up in court, and others are expected to.

People eat at a restaurant in Jerusalem’s main market after authorities reopened restaurants, bars and cafes to ‘green pass’ holders on March 11, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)

Airlines are already considering if vaccination, or a recent negative test, might be required for travel, as is the European Union. Some officials in Britain and the United States are exploring if proof of immunization could help large-scale gatherings to return, though there remains significant resistance to such measures in the US. Whether a shot is necessary to go back to work or class is an even thornier question.

In many countries, the decisions may raise the prospect of further dividing populations along the lines of wealth and vaccine access. While the vast majority of the 100,000 Palestinians who live in the West Bank and have Israeli work permits have been vaccinated, immunization drives in the West Bank and Gaza have lagged far behind. Many parts of the world have received few, if any, vaccines.

So far, Israel has relied primarily on a series of incentives meant to encourage people to get a vaccine. It has established a “green pass” for the fully vaccinated whose holders can attend concerts, dine out, go to the gym or travel to popular vacation spots in places like Egypt, Cyprus and Greece. Those who do not have the pass are out of luck.

Israeli fans cheer before the World Cup 2022 group F qualifying soccer match between Israel and Denmark in Tel Aviv, March 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The system has worked well in areas of leisure and entertainment. But now, it is moving into other realms. Health officials have recommended barring unvaccinated workers who have not recently tested negative for COVID-19 from schools, elder care facilities and other high-risk workplaces.

Israel’s health care system has also mandated that all employees — doctors, nurses, administrators and support staff alike — receive the coronavirus vaccine. If they refuse, they will be transferred to jobs that do not involve contact with high-risk patients.

Rights groups have expressed concern that such regulations could jeopardize workers’ income.

Similar concerns exist in education. Tel Aviv University, Israel’s largest, has found an uneasy balance for now.

As the university resumes in-person classes, Eyal Zisser, its deputy rector, said that only students who are vaccinated can be physically present. Those who are not can continue to learn remotely.

“In the initial stages, we are bringing back some of the students according to the green pass and making lessons accessible to the rest of the students,” said Zisser.

The port of Tel Aviv during the Passover holiday, March 30, 2021 (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

Even with Israel’s success, hundreds of thousands of people remain unvaccinated — some who are opposed to vaccines in general but many who are hesitant to take a shot that was developed so quickly. UN, US and European health experts have said the vaccines authorized by Israel are safe and effective.

Kavnatsky, the makeup artist, objects to vaccines and modern medicine more broadly, saying he doesn’t want to put “any needles in my body.” He is not alone. He is one of over 15,000 members of a Hebrew-language anti-vaccine Facebook group who are critical of what they see as forced immunization by the state.

Rappeh, a political party headed by outspoken anti-vaccine advocate Aryeh Avni, garnered over 17,000 votes in last week’s recent parliamentary elections. That was not enough to get into parliament but illustrates the challenge for policymakers.

Israel’s Health Ministry acknowledges its powers are limited.

“We cannot force people to vaccinate,” said Einav Shimron, the ministry’s deputy director for international relations.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, a nongovernmental organization that deals with labor issues, said that the long-term application of the green pass raises a potential civil rights issue, and has called on the government to pass legislation on the matter.

“If there is going to be a policy that infringes on the right to employment and on the right for a person to choose what to do with his or her body in order to be employed, then it needs to go through the legislative process,” said spokeswoman Maya Fried. “There needs to be a public discussion.”

A Clalit vaccination center in Jerusalem, on February 25, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

In the meantime, the debate is already playing out in the courts.

In the first major decision on the topic, a Tel Aviv labor court in March allowed a daycare center to bar a teaching assistant who refused to get vaccinated or undergo coronavirus testing. The decision is expected to be appealed.

Prof. Nadav Davidovitch. (Courtesy)

Dr. Nadav Davidovitch, the head of Israel’s association of public health physicians, said he believes people have an obligation to get vaccinated, particularly given the evidence that the vaccine not only prevents the worst outcomes from COVID-19 but also may reduce the spread of the virus. Israel, with 9.3 million people, has recorded at least 6,220 deaths since the pandemic began.

“We see vaccination as a solidarity act, not just an individual choice,” he said.

Still, he said he opposes forced vaccinations or firing people for refusing. Instead, he favors alternative approaches, from education to persuasion. Those who continue to refuse can perhaps be given different jobs, work remotely or undergo frequent testing.

Davidovitch, a former military epidemiologist, has experience with the issue. He said that well over 90% of Israeli recruits who did not want to be vaccinated when they enlisted ended up agreeing once they were educated by medical experts.

“I think it’s a bad idea to move quickly to compulsion,” he said. “Most people are hesitant. They are not against vaccination in general.”

《華爾街日報》：美國官員說，以色列襲擊了許多將伊朗石油運往敘利亞的船隻

報告稱，自2019年以來，以色列以至少12艘與伊朗有聯繫的船隻為目標，標誌著衝突的新前沿

由TOI工作人員2021年3月12日，上午1:36 4

說明性：2012年7月2日，一輛伊朗革命衛隊快艇在波斯灣中移動，而背景中看到一艘油輪。（美聯社照片/ Vahid Salemi，文件）

根據周四的一份報告，以色列已將至少12艘開往敘利亞的船隻作為目標，其中大多數使用地雷和其他武器運送伊朗石油。

《華爾街日報》援引“美國和地區官員”的話，襲擊始於2019年底，襲擊伊朗船隻和其他裝載伊朗貨物的船隻。

報導說，以色列在紅海和其他地區進行的一些罷工以與伊朗有關的武器運輸為目標。

襲擊並沒有使油輪沉沒，而是迫使至少兩艘船返回伊朗港口。

報告說，以色列試圖停止石油貿易，因為它認為利潤是在資助地區極端分子。

近年來，伊朗一直在與敘利亞進行石油貿易，這既違反了美國對德黑蘭的製裁，也違反了對大馬士革的國際制裁。

以色列拒絕對此報導發表評論。

這些襲擊標誌著以色列與伊朗之間的影子戰爭開闢了一條新戰線。

以色列說，伊朗上個月在波斯灣炸毀了一艘以色列擁有的船隻。伊朗否認這一指控。

一些消息人士說，載有汽車的油輪MV Helios Ray爆炸是由帽貝雷造成的。損壞迫使該船駛入港口進行修理，但並未使其失效或傷害任何船員。

在緊張的2019年夏天，美國軍方譴責伊朗在霍爾木茲海峽附近的兩艘油輪發生爆炸，這是世界上最具戰略意義的運輸路線之一。

伊朗領導人一再呼籲以色列消亡，伊朗支持真主黨恐怖組織以及加沙地帶的恐怖組織。

以色列擁有的貨船Helios Ray於2021年2月28日坐在阿拉伯聯合酋長國迪拜的港口靠碼頭（AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili）

自2011年內戰開始以來，以色列軍方對敘利亞發動了數百次空襲，反對伊朗採取行動在該國建立永久性軍事存在，並努力向該地區的恐怖組織運送先進的，改變遊戲規則的武器，主要是真主黨。

伊朗將最近的一系列襲擊歸咎於以色列，其中包括去年夏天發生的一次神秘爆炸，摧毀了其納坦茲核設施的先進離心機組裝廠，並殺死了伊朗最高科學家穆赫·法赫里扎德（Mohsen Fakhrizadeh），該科學家創立了伊斯蘭共和國的軍事核計劃已有二十年前。

近幾個月來，中東局勢緊張加劇，因為在與拜登政府進行可能的會談之前，伊朗屢次違反了與世界大國達成的2015年核協議的條款。

以色列環境部長指責伊朗上個月在以色列海岸外發生石油洩漏，沿以色列大部分地中海海岸線看到數百噸焦油污染海灘，但以色列安全官員表示無法證實這一指控。許多焦油已被清除，許多海灘現已重新開放。

包括總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）在內的以色列官員已經開始表達對拜登政府希望重新加入該協議的反對意見，使耶路撒冷和華盛頓在此問題上處於分歧。近幾個月來，一些以色列主要領導人威脅要採取軍事行動，以製止伊朗的流氓核武器計劃。

美國和歐洲外交官週四在一份報告中告訴《紐約時報》，美國和伊朗之間就恢復核協議的非正式談判可能在未來幾週內開始。

US officials say Israel has hit many ships taking Iran oil, arms to Syria: WSJ

Report says Israel targeted at least 12 vessels linked to Iran since 2019, marking a new front in conflict

By TOI STAFF12 March 2021, 1:36 am 4

Illustrative: An Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboat moves in the Persian Gulf while an oil tanker is seen in background, July 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Israel has targeted at least 12 ships bound for Syria, most of them transporting Iranian oil, with mines and other weapons, according to a Thursday report.

The attacks started in late 2019 and targeted both Iranian vessels, and other ships with Iranian cargo, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing “US and regional officials.”

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Some of the Israeli strikes, which took place in the Red Sea and other areas, targeted Iran-linked weapons shipments, the report said.

The attacks did not sink the tankers, but forced at least two of the vessels to return to port in Iran.

Israel sought to halt the trade in oil because it believed the profits were financing regional extremists, the report said.

Iran has carried on with its oil trade to Syria in recent years, in violation of both US sanctions on Tehran and international sanctions on Damascus.

Israel declined to comment to The Wall Street Journal on the report.

The attacks mark a new front in the shadow war between Israel and Iran.

Israel said Iran was behind a blast on an Israeli-owned ship in the Persian Gulf last month; Iran denies the charge.

Some sources said the explosion on the MV Helios Ray, a tanker carrying cars, was caused by limpet mines. The damage forced the ship to port for repairs but did not disable it or injure any crew.

In the tense summer of 2019, the US military blamed Iran for explosions on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic shipping lanes.

Iran, whose leaders repeatedly call for Israel’s demise, backs the Hezbollah terrorist group, as well as terror groups in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli-owned cargo ship, Helios Ray, sits docked in port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011 against moves by Iran to establish a permanent military presence in the country and efforts to transport advanced, game-changing weapons to terrorist groups in the region, principally Hezbollah.

Iran has blamed Israel for a recent series of attacks, including a mysterious explosion last summer that destroyed an advanced centrifuge assembly plant at its Natanz nuclear facility and the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian scientist who founded the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear program two decades ago.

Tensions have heated in the Middle East in recent months, as Iran repeatedly violated the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers ahead of possible talks with the Biden administration.

Israel’s environment minister blamed Iran for an oil spill off the Israeli coast last month that saw hundreds of tons of tar pollute beaches along most of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, but Israeli security officials said they could not confirm the allegation. Much of the tar has been removed, and many beaches have now reopened.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have already begun voicing opposition to the Biden administration’s desire to rejoin the deal, putting Jerusalem and Washington at odds on the issue. Some leading Israeli officials in recent months have threatened military action to halt Iran’s rogue nuclear weapons program.

Informal talks between the US and Iran over the return to the nuclear deal could begin in the coming weeks, American and European diplomats told The New York Times in a report Thursday.

最後我提到，美國反常地對中東盟邦不假辭色，卻對中東敵國關愛有加，究竟是否在執行另一個大戰略?也就是從核心瓦解邪惡軸心，乾脆直接拉攏邪惡軸心的主要國家到美國這邊，讓中國與俄羅斯失去小弟依附，這樣做的同時老朋友的戰略重要性也降低，因此無須對沙烏地與以色列太好，造成目前反常情勢。但是是否拜登聰明到能夠擬定這樣的戰略，還是只是忙於處理國內疫情而無心國外局勢，需要我們再觀察一陣子看看。

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