Israel Punishes Poor Vaccine Skeptics: "No Vaccines, No Child Support"

Natural Blaze.com

By Heather Callaghan

In the U.S. not only are there dozens of compulsory vaccination bills that magically cropped up from individual states right after the measles situation in California, but also a federal bill to nullify state decisions and make sure that virtually every child is vaccinated. Then came Australia’s own vaccine bubble and their new “no jab, no pay” policy to cut benefits from parents who won’t vaccinate their children.

If that wasn’t enough force in the name of “child welfare,” Israel has just unilaterally decided that child support allowances for the poor will be purposely withheld from those who won’t vaccinate their children.

Times of Israel reported on a decision that citizens had no say in whatsoever (emphasis added):

When United Torah Judaism inked its coalition agreement with Likud on April 29, party members triumphantly hailed the reversal of a slew of legislative measures implemented by arch-nemesis Yair Lapid, including an increase in monthly child allowances — but it came with one caveat. 

Under the terms of the coalition deal, which appointed party member Yaakov Litzman deputy health minister, “the National Insurance law will be amended, such that child allowances will not be given in cases where a parent refuses to vaccinate their child.”

Apparently, this decision is a long time coming but in the past, forming a link between welfare and vaccines appeared too harsh. So it came up again and again. Rights groups plus the Haredim and Bedouin are calling the ruling draconion, discriminatory and penalizing. Just as in the U.S. and Australia, the Israeli media and health officials are projecting blame for “anti-vax” sentiments on the traditional/religious, the impoverished Haredim and Bedouin, and the middle/upper class, but without ever regarding legitimate concerns.

Yitzchak Kadman, director of the Israel National Council for the Child, said:

This is a serious act, even worse than the previous attempt in 2010 to harm the allowances. Then, a reduction of the allowance was being discussed… now this refers to canceling the entire allowance. 

The State of Israel never set a requirement to vaccinate, but it doesn’t hesitate to hit the pocketbooks of families with children who didn’t fulfill an obligation that was never set.

An attorney for Arab minority rights noted a major contradiction of this law that should give everyone pause:

if the amendment is implemented, this would be another punitive measure against children in the unrecognized Bedouin villages who, on the one hand, the government refuses to make preventative healthcare accessible, and on the other hand, punishes them by taking away their allowances if they aren’t vaccinated.

Mor Sagmon of the Association for Information on Vaccines said the dangerous move sets a precedent to allow the Finance Ministry and other future stakeholders power over people and, “perhaps tomorrow they will reduce it for those who don’t fly a flag on Independence Day or those who smoke?”

More from Times:

While the legal measure would not be unprecedented globally (Australia has conditioned benefits on vaccines beginning in 2016), some Israeli rights groups are fuming at the decision, accusing the government of discriminating against its weakest populations amid deepening poverty rates, and penalizing children for their parents’ decisions. They argue as well that the legislation simply won’t change the minds of those staunchly against vaccinations, known as “anti-vaxxers.”

Really – that manufactured term has translated there too? How can a few months time turn the entire world against people with legitimate concerns that continue to be callously dismissed? Did you ever think you would live to see such “peer” pressure and discrimination over a very important medical decision? And now, society’s most vulnerable have their children’s livelihood on the lines – that doesn’t speak well of “child welfare” which is what the government claimed as a motive. Indeed, it is the children who get punished most with decisions like these.

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