Last Updated on July 16, 2021
The Israeli government has unveiled a program called “Happy Badges” that will restrict attendees of large gatherings such as parties and weddings based on vaccination status, COVID recovery status, and whether the individual in question has recently tested negative for COVID-19. The ‘Happy Badge” system will apply to all gatherings composed of over 100 people.
The Jerusalem Post reported the news on Friday, as the Israeli government slipped into a panic over a third straight day with more than 750 new cases of COVID. Israel has a population of over 9 million people.
“Our goal is not to prevent weddings and other celebrations in the halls,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said this week. “This would be the easiest and most harmful step because weddings would take place in an illegal manner with no control. Our goal is to find out how to allow them at the time of a pandemic, with minimum harm to the events industry and maximum protection of Israeli citizens.”
The Israeli government’s push for vaccine badges has not been welcomed warmly by all sectors of the populace, with some activists comparing the new procedures to a “second Holocaust” as reported by National File:
Radiant Israel founder Gilad Rosinger released a video on the Radiant Israel Facebook page decrying the actions taken by the Israeli government to pressure people to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and only allow those who have taken it to participate in society.
“Israel, unbelievably, is the leader in this global demonic deception,” said Rosinger. “There’s a saying in Israel that goes, “Never again.” Every Holocaust Day, every year there’s a day to celebrate the Holocaust, to remember, not to celebrate what happened, but to celebrate the fact that Israel has its independent state, and never again will the Jewish people be killed. Never again will the murder of innocent people take place. That is what, supposedly, this Jewish nation is founded upon.”
The vaccine “Happy Badge” system has also received mockery from Israeli citizens on social media.
