Health Minister Yuli Edelstein lashed out Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman on Thursday afternoon, accusing him and his party of spreading fake news and encouraging people not to get vaccinated.
"In recent days, there have been cases of the spreading of fake news and calls not to get vaccinated by Yisrael Beytenu MKs," Edelstein wrote on Twitter and Facebook. "I would like to understand from the chairman of the party, Avigdor Liberman, if this is the official position of the party. And, if not, then I ask you to join the efforts to encourage citizens to vaccinate so we can beat this pandemic."
Edelstein's social posts followed an impassioned speech in the Knesset on Wednesday, where he told MKs that if they spread fake news or tell people not to vaccinate they could cause people to die.
“With all due respect to the spreaders of lies, we are constantly approached by the heads of authorities, celebrities and doctors, who want to set a personal example,” the health minister said at the Knesset. “My main mission is to fight fake news in the coming weeks and months.
“If you do not want to get vaccinated, don’t get vaccinated,” he continued. “But do not discuss things you don’t understand or spread lies. This could cause someone who hears this nonsense to not get vaccinated, become sick and possibly even die.”
The Pfizer vaccines, several hundred thousand of which have already arrived in Israel, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and the data has been reviewed carefully by teams of health professionals inside and outside the Health Ministry.
Edelstein said his ministry would provide information about the vaccines to the public and would closely monitor the results and any side effects of those who receive inoculations.
“The people of Israel will not be given any vaccine that we do not trust 100%,” he said, noting that he had signed the approval for the coronavirus vaccine to be covered under the Vaccine Victims’ Law, which would ensure compensation to anyone harmed by it.
Liberman later responded to Edelstein by saying that the vaccines are not a political issue, but an individual decision.
"Regarding vaccines - there's no such thing as partisan discipline or agreements between parties," Liberman tweeted. "Every person, according to their age, medical condition and doctors' recommendations, will make their own decisions."
Liberman noted that while he intends on getting vaccinated for the virus, he will not tell others how they should act and will not judge anyone for their choices.
Another member of Liberman’s party, MK Yulia Malinovsky, addressed a letter to MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, chairwoman of the Knesset's Coronavirus Committee, demanding to make the information relating to the coronavirus vaccines transparent and available to the public.
"Who will be held responsible for damages caused by the vaccine? What populations are more prone to be damaged by the vaccine? Will there be any sanctions or benefits to those who choose to vaccinate?" Malinovsky asked in her letter, which was sent Thursday evening. "The importance of holding a public debate is extremely high, in order to ensure that the information is transparent so that every citizen in Israel can form an opinion after hearing all medical recommendations.”