31 January, 2026
While many Muslims were arguing that COVID vaccination is a Jewish conspiracy, the Jewish state rushed to vaccinate, paying more than many wealthier nations. Israel has paid $23.50 per dose while the US and European Community have paid $4.0 and $3.5 per dose, respectively.
Today Israel leads the world with over 60% of its adult population vaccinated, with some experts postulating that Israel may be reaching herd immunity—where indirect protection from an infectious disease is achieved when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. With herd immunity, transmission of the virus becomes very difficult.
Schools have reopened in Israel, industry is back to normal, and the mandatory wearing of masks in public areas has ended. The inability of nations to contain the virus not only compromises health and economic well-being but also damages their battle readiness.
Guess what—the country which is the most battle-ready in terms of this virus is Israel! On watching the Americans land on the moon on July 16, 1969, Shah Ahmed Azmi said a verse:
اہلِ صنم اوجِ ثریا سے جا ملے
اہلِ حرم دعاؤں کا اثر دیکھتے رہے
The non-Muslims reached the pinnacle of Surraiya (one of the farthest visible stars), and the Muslims kept waiting to see the results of their prayers. As I thought about Israel and the virus today, it took me back to the six-day Arab-Israeli conflict where Most of the combat aircraft of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon were destroyed in the first few hours on June 5, 1967, and this Urdu verse kept haunting me.
The lesson for today is simple: let us all get vaccinated!