Israeli councilman who tried to ban unvaccinated ‘dies suddenly’

A councilman of the Israeli city of Hadera who wanted to ban the unvaccinated from public spaces died suddenly Sunday in a shock to his family and residents. He was 54.

Tal Eliyahu had recently failed in a bid for mayor of Hadera after serving on the city’s council for 15 years. As councilman he served as recreation chairman and at certain points served as deputy mayor and acting mayor. 

During the pandemic, Eliyahu sparked controversy when he proposed that those who refused the COVID-19 mRNA shots be prohibited from public spaces.

In February 2021 he posted to Facebook, “It was published this morning that a kindergartener who had not been vaccinated turned [the town of] Yeruham red. I suggest: As with smoking – which is prohibited in a public place, the same applies to vaccinations: those who have not been vaccinated will not be able to walk around in a public place.” 

No cause of death has been announced for Eliyahu’s unexpected death this week, which stunned the public. 

“All my life I knew that if I have you I have everything,” said his daughter Livi after his passing. “I don’t know anyone with a quarter of your abilities, with your wisdom and kindness. You sacrificed your life for the city of Hadera without wanting anything in return.”

Israel earned worldwide attention during the pandemic not only for being the first country to strike a deal with Pfizer and distribute the experimental injections, but for the government’s attitude toward those who refused the shots.

Eliyahu was not alone in wanting to ban the unvaccinated, who were ultimately barred by state law from most public spaces such as gyms, libraries, schools, restaurants, theaters, and were prohibited from taking driving exams.

These restrictions — which then-Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz admitted were purely punitive — were coupled with strong rhetoric from government leaders. Then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett urged parents who had their children injected to shame parents who refused to inject theirs. He accused those who refused the shots of “walking around with a machine gun firing Delta variants at people” and proposed a bracelet system to publicly identify the unvaccinated.

In 2022 a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study of Israelis under 40 found a 25% rise in cardiac events that was directly correlated to the COVID shots. Children under 10 have also been dying of sudden cardiac arrest, though the government and media operatives refuse to disclose their vaccination statuses.