Jewish doctors and medical staff have supposedly become targets of hate crimes by anti-vaccine and antisemitic individuals, the Simon Wiesenthal Center asserted in a letter to Gerald Darmanin, the French Interior Minister.The letter argued that anti-vaccination rhetoric is closely linked to antisemitism.A UK study published in October reported that antisemitism has been on the rise within the anti-vaxxer movement — stating that of the leading anti-vaccination groups on social media, nearly 80% of those groups propagated antisemitic content.
"Anti-vaccination is, though misguided, a legal right. However, when it becomes a vector for antisemitism and endangers Jewish doctors, it is a hate crime under French law," said Dr. Shimon Samuels, director of the Wiesenthal Centre."The irony is that the antisemites may one day be saved by a doctor who happens to be Jewish," he continued.Darmanin was asked in the letter to shut down far-right YouTube media outlets that supposedly have been spreading conspiracy theories about Jews and vaccines.Last month, an anti-vaccine protest that took place in Glogow, Poland, blamed Jews as being responsible for the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Gadi Zaig and Aaron Reich contributed to this report.Jewish doctors allegedly targeted by anti-vaccine antisemites in France
A letter sent to the French Interior Minister from the Simon Wiesenthal Center argued that anti-vaccination rhetoric is closely linked to antisemitism.
