The Israeli government will require citizens to present vaccine certificates or negative COVID-19 tests in order to enter a variety of public places, including synagogues, according to a recent announcement by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
As of August 8, people in Israel will have to show a proof of vaccination or negative tests or else be barred entry from places such as movie theaters, sports games, amusement parks, synagogues, or activities where 100 people or more will be present.
In a statement, Bennett declared that “those who refuse vaccines are endangering their health, those around them and the freedom of every Israeli citizen. They are endangering our freedom to work, the freedom of our children to learn and the freedom to hold celebrations with the family.”
“Those who refuse vaccines hurt us all because if all of us were vaccinated, we would all be able to maintain daily life,” the prime minister added. “But if one million Israelis continue to not get vaccinated, this will oblige the eight million others to shut themselves in their homes.”
Bennett made it clear that those who refuse to get the vaccine will face strict measures related to flight travel and will personally bear the costs of COVID-19 testing:
Therefore, the [Corona] Cabinet decided today that as of 8 August, those who refuse vaccines will not be able to go to the cinema, the theater, the synagogue, the amusement park, the soccer game or any activity with over 100 people, indoors or out, unless they bring negative results from a coronavirus test, at their expense. Yes, they will fully bear the costs of the test.
There is no reason why the taxpayers and people who have carried out their civic duty and have been vaccinated should finance tests for those who refuse to get vaccinated.
Regarding flights, people who have been vaccinated will be able to fly to the clean countries and return; after they receive negative test results in Israel, they will be exempt from quarantine.
The policies place Israel in the company of countries such as Italy and France.
Starting August 6 in Italy, the government will require a “green certification” to sit at indoor bars and restaurants, go to museums, swimming pools, gyms, theme parks, and more.
“The virus’s Delta variant is menacing,” said Prime Minister Mario Draghi, per the New York Times.
In France, the government recently announced that visitors will need a COVID-19 pass to visit tourist spots such as the Eiffel Tower. Additionally, the pass is required for any “leisure” activity where more than 50 people are gathered. This includes movie theaters, swimming pools, festivals, theme parks, shopping malls, bars, cafés, restaurants, movie theaters, and concerts.
So far, France will not require the COVID-19 vaccine in schools, and the pass is not mandatory for children under 12.
As with Israel and Italy, France’s new policy comes on the heels of the virus’ “Delta variant.”
The United States has so far avoided creating a nationally mandated COVID-19 passport, although a number of private entities are using their influence to compel Americans to get the shot.
Many companies, for example, are giving their employees the ultimatum: Get vaccinated or lose your job. This includes everything from grocery stores to hospitals to the NFL — which is now fining unvaccinated players $14,650 for any violation of the league’s COVID-19 protocol.
In New York, Mayor Bill De Blasio urged businesses to mandate the vaccine among their workforce.
“I’m calling on all New York City employers, including our private hospitals, to move immediately to some form of mandate,” de Blasio said Friday. He called on employers to impose “whatever the maximum is you feel you can do. It will move the ball. It will get more people vaccinated.”
In America, a number of states have enacted bans on “COVID passports,” a catch-all term for the type of vaccination certification requirements being implemented in other countries. These tend to be Republican-leaning states such as Florida and Alabama, and their prohibitions ostensibly keep businesses from denying service to individuals on the basis of their vaccination status.
The vaxxing battle shows no signs of slowing down as the political establishment seeks to achieve universal vaccination even if it means eliminating the freedom of citizens.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, expressed the sentiment of the global “ruling” class when he said recently that “vaccinated people will definitely have more freedoms than unvaccinated people.”
