Are the Vaccine Wars Going Viral?

 27 Shevat 5781

I promised to keep you informed of new developments, so read on.

To recap a bit in case you missed it, not enough people are volunteering to take the vaccine.  [See  Vaccine drive slowed by 50%, official laments, blaming online ‘fake news’]  Instead of threatening us with rising case numbers, they intend to threaten us with the dropping vaccine numbers.

Today, the media reported that the Health Ministry is "furious" with Rabbi Asherov for his influence over the hundreds of thousands of people who have viewed his videos on the dangers of the vaccine.

...Many doctors have refuted his claims and the Health Ministry, which is trying to have his videos removed, has issued a warning about their content.

...Asherov's videos start with a disclaimer that "the information provided here does not replace conventional medical advice and the law must be respected," but the rabbi's resistance to the coronavirus vaccination campaign and his warnings that the Israeli people have become "experimental guinea pigs" are dangerously popular online.

Einav Shimron, deputy director-general at the Health Ministry's Information and International Relations Department, says that the ministry is working with the authorities to "remove his information." She says that the ministry is about to launch a fact-checking website where "all of Asherov's claims will be surely refuted." 

"It is hard to calculate the damage caused by these videos," Shimron says. (Source)

Try accessing the rabbi's videos now:  COVID-19 VACCINE: PART 1 and PART 2.  As of this writing, Part 2 is still up on Youtube, but possibly only because he starts the video with a disclaimer explaining that he is not a medical doctor and is not giving medical advice.

Also today, Rabbi Anava's Jan. 5, 2021 lecture on the vaccine has been removed from Youtube.  There is nothing in the video lineup to click on any longer, but when I used the url I had saved to it, this is what was waiting there:

I think it stayed up as long as it did because it was cleverly titled "Should You Take the Corona Vaccine - Why Do So Many Doctors and Rabbis Say to Take It?"  It might be read as being PRO-vaccine if you just go by the title.

Thanks to Yakov Butterfield, you can still see it at Brighteon or on BitChute (as soon as processing is complete.)

The thing about all these videos is that they were taken down because someone complained about them.  Same as this incident...

Facebook removes anti-vaccine 'fake news' in Israel, government says

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Facebook has taken down content that spread lies in Israel against coronavirus vaccinations as the government seeks to drum up support for the programme, the Justice Ministry said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday became the first person to be vaccinated in Israel. Opinion polls show some two-thirds of the public want to follow suit.

The Justice Ministry said that, at its request, Facebook took down four groups at the weekend that had disseminated texts, photographs and videos with “deliberately mendacious content designed to mislead about coronavirus vaccines”.

Such “fake news” included arguments that vaccines would be used to plant government tracking chips in recipients’ bodies, to poison them and thus cull the population or to subject them to medical experimentation, the ministry said in a statement.

A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that four Hebrew-language groups had been taken down as part of the company’s policy against “spreading misinformation regarding the vaccines”.

Israeli officials say the country has enough vaccines on order by year’s end to protect the most vulnerable 20% of the population and then lift some coronavirus curbs, but worry that turnout might be dampened if people get false information about the inoculations.

Israel began administering vaccines to medical staff on Sunday. At Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, dozens of doctors and nurses danced as they prepared to receive their injections.

Imagine!  A prettier piece of propaganda would be hard to find.  And then there is this...

Synagogues call to allow indoor prayer in accordance with guidelines

The World Organization of Orthodox Synagogues has warned of a dangerous combination of increased activity inside synagogues due to the growing number of people inoculated against the coronavirus and lax adherence to pandemic guidelines among those who have yet to receive the vaccine.

The organization called on the government to open synagogues to worshippers that have either been vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19, or tested negative for the virus 72 hours before entering the temple to pray.

According to existing lockdown guidelines, up to five people are allowed to gather in a closed space, and up to 10 are allowed to convene in open areas. In effect, these restrictions prevent worshippers from praying in a minyan – a quorum of 10.

As a result, the organization noted, many people have begun to either ignore or bend the rules on the number of worshippers allowed to gather in one place.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing worshippers, including those who do not have a green passport, beginning to pray in closed spaces. We fear the phenomenon will grow and threaten the health of many," the organization said in a statement.

"Worshippers must adhere to the guidelines and immediately get vaccinated as all the experts have advised. This is both a halachic and moral obligation," the organization said.

According to the framework, the number of worshippers allowed inside the synagogue would be determined by experts to maintain the necessary distance between people. In addition, mask-wearing and hygiene would be enforced. Each synagogue would appoint a coronavirus chief with enforcing the guidelines and limiting entry to green passport holders. Those without a green passport would be allowed to pray outside and in adherence with social-distancing and other pandemic guidelines.

Carmiel mayor approves vaccinated-only shopping

Yep. The worst enemies are always those within. Hashem yerachem!