The Ministry of Health on Sunday warned the public against the ban against vaccination of Rabbi Yuval Hacohen Asherov, who is accused of intimidating the sights, at a time of general slowdown in the country’s massive disinfection program .
The rabbi is “deceptively and recklessly endangering his audience,” the ministry said in a statement.
He noted that Asherov “does not hold a license for medical use or any other health profession … his claims are dangerous and deceptive to the public and private individuals.”
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Asherov, who advises a number of Israeli celebrities, has released videos falsely claiming that vaccines cause infertility and damage to the immune system, and can be deadly.
“There are fears that the coronavirus vaccine can be fatal, causing infertility… and potentially deadly allergies,” he said in one snippet. “Scientists say this.” I am saying this. ”
Many of his videos have been viewed 100,000-200,000 times.
There is no evidence to support Asherov’s claims, which were put forward by health experts.
Earlier on Sunday a group of influential rabbits issued a statement calling for the public to be vaccinated, stating that it was a religious public duty.
Unwillingness to get the sights is expressed by younger Israelis, but also among those at risk, including teachers.
On Saturday, Yisrael Beytenu’s party leader, MK Avigdor Liberman, drew criticism after defending the party’s lawyer who said he would not get the sights.
Yisrael Beytenu CEO MK Avigdor Liberman, on September 6, 2020. (Sraya Diamant / FLASH90)
Liberman falsely stated that “we know nothing about the vaccine,” and asserted that he was opposed to the people being vaccinated.
His comments immediately drew an appeal from health officials, who warned it could inspire public suspicion about the cost-effective vaccine.
The Ministry of Health has decided to set up a special team to counter false news about the coronavirus vaccines on social media.
Last week, Facebook announced the removal of a major Israeli group that promoted conspiracy theories about the vaccines that, a few weeks ago, had persuaded thousands of members of its meetings. set to insert and then turn off at the last minute, forcing HMOs not to throw out unused doses.
Facebook said the group violated their community standards for fake news.
The group came out of the social media platform after the Ministry of Health urged Facebook to post anti-vaxxers who were bragging about their benefits. The social media giant has vowed to keep anti-vaxxers and those who spread fake vaccine information off its platform.
Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak will speak at a lecture in the northern city of Tiberias, on March 3, 2019. (David Cohen / Flash90)
Days later, the social media giant slammed another group affiliated with Israeli rabbi Amnon Yitzhak who sent false news about the pandemic and the vaccines.
The group, which had more than 12,000 members, contained false information about the virus and the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, along with conspiracy theories and attempts to stop the country’s vaccination campaign.
The Ministry of Health intends to ban Israelis who refuse vaccination against the coronavirus and impose sanctions on businesses that accept unvaccinated consumers.
Israel is in the sixth week of a national lockdown aimed at preventing viral infections and the government, which hopes to have all citizens over 16 years old, has by the end of March, has made the success of the vaccination campaign a key element of the lockout strategy.