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Q&A: The Ministry of Health's Trial Against Dr. Gil Yosef Shahar

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This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.

The Ministry of Health's Trial Against Dr. Gil Yosef Shahar

Question

Hello and blessings. I don't know whether you're familiar with the above trial. In short, Gil published several articles 6 years ago pointing to problems in studies that supposedly justify the use of routine vaccines. The articles are professional, in my humble opinion (they're on his website if that interests you). In any case, the Ministry of Health sued him with all sorts of odd and bizarre claims, yet without even a single refutation throughout all 6 years. They kept claiming that he is dangerous to the public (this is their main claim). 
Now the trial is coming to an end. I am attaching Gil's summary of what has happened so far. 
I wanted to ask your opinion—assuming they indeed did not refute anything he claimed (all his criticisms concern the fact that there are no double-blind studies, with placebo, and with an appropriate target population, for routine vaccines), is it proper to persecute him like this? Or is the Ministry of Health playing a dirty game here that prevents the public's right to know? 
 
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JnQsusJcP/

Answer

Your question isn't really a question. Clearly, if they are persecuting him for no reason, that is problematic. So what exactly is the question? The real question is whether they really are persecuting him for no reason. And on that I do not intend to read up and comment. I don't understand this area, and I don't intend to get into the subject. Reading one side is never representative.

Discussion on Answer

Itai (2025-09-30)

Let me clarify my question.
They are not persecuting him for no reason. According to him, they are persecuting him because it is dangerous if the public does not get vaccinated, even though there are not enough safety studies. Is that a legitimate consideration on the part of the Ministry of Health?

Michi (2025-09-30)

I understood that this was the question, and I answered it. If they have no scientific basis and what he says is a defensible position, there is no justification whatsoever for persecuting him. Isn't that obvious?

Itai (2025-09-30)

I don't think that's obvious.
They can argue that even though there are no meticulous safety tests, there are correlational studies showing a connection between lack of vaccination and illness, or studies showing higher infection rates among the unvaccinated, and so on. These could seemingly justify the following claim on their part: "Even if there are no studies showing that the vaccines are safe (studies that meet standards of causality), we do not want the public to know this, because there are indications that non-vaccination may be dangerous both to the unvaccinated and to those around them. Therefore, we would prefer to keep this information back in order to prevent non-vaccination, and anyone who publishes such information publicly endangers public health, even though he is not lying."

Michi (2025-09-30)

They can argue lots of things. So what?

Itai (2025-10-01)

My question is whether such a claim is justified, or in other words, whether considerations of public health can override freedom of speech that describes something true (assuming they did not refute what he said).

Michi (2025-10-01)

But that is exactly the dispute—whether this is really about public health or not. According to your suggestion, you could silence anyone who, in my view, is wrong. You're against the war, or in favor of a peace agreement with the Palestinians, or in favor of raising taxes, or against red traffic lights, or anything else—and I will silence you because, in my view, you are endangering human lives.

Itai (2025-10-01)

But it's not exactly like that; it's more complicated.
After all, he is pointing to problems in the studies in terms of causality, while they are pointing out (in the hypothetical scenario I presented) correlational studies. So they argue that even if we do not have knowledge of causality, it is better to be cautious. His emphasis on the lack of causality, from the Ministry of Health's perspective, may endanger the public, and that is enough in their view to try to revoke his license.
This is not just a dispute about public health, but also about the public's right to know. The Ministry of Health, because of public-health considerations, prefers that the public not know. Gil, because of considerations of the public's right to know, prefers to publish reliable information that raises research-based doubt and that may (assuming there is causality between non-vaccination and illness) endanger public health.

Michi (2025-10-01)

I'll write one last time and with this I'll end it. A scientific debate can take place on any subject. And people will decide whatever they decide and bear the consequences. That's all. Even if the Ministry of Health were clearly and scientifically right, there is still no justification whatsoever for persecuting someone over saying otherwise. He does not believe the scientific/medical establishment, and that is his right. That's it, I'm done.

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