(JTA) — Israel delivered 20,000 swine flu vaccines to the Palestinian Authority ahead of the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Civil Administration in the West Bank, a unit in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, arranged for the entry Thursday of 20,000 doses of swine flu vaccine into Ramallah via the Kalandiya crossing.
This year, Saudi Arabian authorities have made swine flu vaccination a condition for entrance into Mecca, Islam’s holiest city. Islam commands that Muslims complete the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to the city, at least once during their lifetimes. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.
According to the Civil Administration statement, Israel "places great value on cooperation and coordination with the Palestinian Authority in the fields of health and religious expression."
