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Israeli Embassy, Canadian Jewish Groups Rebuke MP’s ‘False Claim’ That Israel Demolished Palestinian COVID-19 Center

The Jewish groups cited a Jerusalem Post report stating that the building was a car dealership, not a COVID-19 testing center.
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July 23, 2020
BEIT HANINA, WEST BANK – OCTOBER 29: The belongings of a Palestinian family lie in the open as Jerusalem municipality workers use bulldozers to demolish a residential building in an East Jerusalem neighborhood on October 29, 2013 of Beit Hanina, West Bank. The building was demolished after Israeli authorities claimed that the the structure had been built without the necessary authorisation. (photo by Oren Ziv/Getty Images)

The Israeli Embassy in Canada as well as Canadian Jewish groups rebuked a tweet from New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament (MP) Matthew Green that said Israel demolished a Palestinian testing center for COVID-19.

Green tweeted on July 19, “Hundreds have contacted my office with serious concerns over the Israeli gov’s military stoppage of a #COVID testing centre in #Hebron #Palestine. I condemn this blatant disregard for human life during this pandemic.”

https://twitter.com/MatthewGreenNDP/status/1284833161449558017?s=20

The Israeli embassy responded to Green noting that the facility in question had been operating illegally in Silwan — which is located in Jerusalem’s Old City — and there are several health centers close to Silwan that provide free COVID-19 services to anyone.

 

B’nai Brith Canada and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) tweeted a link to a July 23 Jerusalem Post story stating that the demolish facility was a planned car dealership and not a COVID-19 testing center or health clinic. The building was located in Area C of the West Bank, which Israel controls.

“Do your homework before sharing conspiracy theories with your base,” B’nai Brith Canada tweeted in response to Green. “While you are at it, kindly delete this tweet & apologize for spreading false claims.”

The CIJA similarly tweeted, “@MatthewGreenNDP perpetuated a falsehood about #Israel demolishing a #Palestinian #COVID19 testing centre. That is a lie. Mr. Green should delete his tweet and apologize.”

Green’s office did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.

A May 7 Jerusalem Post report highlighted how Israel has donated test kits and testing swabs to Palestinians as well as provided training to Palestinian doctors on how to properly handle COVID-19 patients. In March, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process Nickolay Mladenov hailed the Israel-Palestinian cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic as “excellent.”

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