Omar Barghouti. Photo: Kevin Van Den, Flickr.

Top BDS activist Omar Barghouti has been widely mocked on social media after he said that it would be permissible for boycotters of Israel to use an Israeli-developed vaccine for the coronavirus.

“If you use medical equipment from Israel — it’s not a problem. Cooperating with Israel against the virus — to begin with, we do not consider it normalization,” he said in an Arabic-language Facebook live broadcast.

“If Israel finds a cure for cancer, for example, or any other disease, then there is no problem in cooperating with Israel to save millions of lives,” Barghouti added.

“Up until now, we have not been in a situation where we need Israel urgently and no one else can save us but Israel,” he said. “If that will happen, saving lives is more important than anything else.”

The BDS movement ostensibly opposes any form of normalization with Israel, which it wishes to replace with an Arab state.

In response to Barghouti’s statement, former IDF spokesman Peter Lerner tweeted, “What’s this boycott Israeli everything, except Israeli medication?”

Why #BDS is wrong:
1. It doesn't promote peace or coexistence.
2. Its back-office are terrorist organizations and/ or Anti-semites.
Also, what's this boycott Israeli everything, except Israeli medication? https://t.co/tep6vvmKN7

— LTC (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) April 7, 2020

International human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky commented, “We might find cure for #CoronaVirus, but not sure we can find vaccine for this kind of mega hypocrisy!”

We might find cure for #CoronaVirus, but not sure we can find vaccine for this kind of mega hypocrisy!

I’m quoted in this piece by @bandlersbanter in @JewishJournal, about #BDS Godfather Omar Barghouti saying it’d be ok to use Israeli #COVID19 vaccine: https://t.co/0haCWkimxU

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) April 7, 2020

The Israel Advocacy Movement tweeted, “Meet Omar Barghouti, he founded the BDS movement… This is how he boycotts Israel: He chose to go to Tel Aviv University. He uses technology built in Israel. He won’t boycott Covid-19 vaccines developed in Israel. Total hypocrite.”

Meet Omar Barghouti, he founded the BDS movement…

This is how he boycotts Israel:

? He chose to go to Tel Aviv University
? He uses technology built in Israel
? He wont boycott Covid-19 vaccines developed in Israel

Total hypocrite ?https://t.co/7YM9qhXGAa

— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) April 6, 2020

The Reservists on Duty NGO also accused Barghouti of being dishonest, saying his vaccine comments were “the definition of hypocrisy.”

? Omar Barghouti, founder of the anti-Israel #BDS movement said that If #Israel finds a vaccine for #coronavirus, boycotters can still somehow take it.

That is the definition of hypocrisy. pic.twitter.com/zaOMOqr7c5

— Reservists On Duty (@reservistsduty) April 6, 2020

Campus advocacy group Students Supporting Israel sarcastically commented that Barghouti “compromises on his strong values!”

Check out the article in which Omar Barghouti the founder of B(D)S compromises on his strong values! Thank you @LahavHarkov for making our day! https://t.co/N9VlEvyg9c

— SSI Movement (@SSI_Movement) April 6, 2020

The group StopAntisemitism.org accused Barghouti of racism, tweeting, “After boycotting Israel for more than a decade, Omar Barghouti says it’s ok for people to use an Israeli made COVID-19 vaccine. Should antisemites like him be allowed to get it once it becomes available?”

After boycotting Israel for more than a decade, Omar Barghouti, says it's ok for people to use an Israeli made COVID-19 vaccine.

Should antisemites like him be allowed to get it once it becomes available?

— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) April 6, 2020

Daniel Schwammenthal, director of the American Jewish Committee Transatlantic Institute, also mocked Barghouti, saying he expressed “his confidence in Israeli innovation.”

BDS founder Omar Barghouti expresses his confidence in Israeli innovation. https://t.co/zSAMUMTA7w

— Daniel Schwammenthal (@DSchwammenthal) April 6, 2020

“Omar Barghouti, who got his MA from Tel Aviv Uni, took a selfie with his Israeli component-heavy iPhone, to speak at a BDS webinar from his laptop with the latest Israeli-made Intel chip, to say it’s kosher to take any future Israeli-made Corona vaccines,” he added.

Omar Barghouti, who got his MA from Tel Aviv Uni, took a selfie with his Israeli component-heavy iPhone, to speak at a BDS webinar from his laptop with the latest Israeli-made Intel chip, to say it's kosher to take any future Israeli-made Corona vaccines.https://t.co/zSAMUMTA7w

— Daniel Schwammenthal (@DSchwammenthal) April 6, 2020