‘South Park’ Special Episode Pokes Fun at Israeli Vaccine Drive
by Algemeiner Staff

A scene from the ‘South Park’ episode ‘Vaccination Special.’ Photo: Comedy Central / Screenshot
Israel’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign arrived in Colorado Wednesday night during an hourlong special of the long-running ‘South Park’ cartoon.
The episode, ‘South ParQ Vaccination Special’, took on QAnon conspiracy theories and the struggle to vaccinate the fictional town’s population against the coronavirus.
In one scene, South Park resident wait behind a velvet rope at a Walgreens-turned-nightclub, pleading for a chance at the jab.
“Cmon, man, it’s ridiculous that people can’t get in!,” says one character.
“You know, in Israel they vaccinate everybody,” says another. “Israel’s way cooler than this lame place.”
“So then go to Israel,” the bouncer says dryly.
“I tried … I couldn’t get in.”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United States and United Nations, shared the scene on Twitter and tagged the official account of NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live,’ whose own skit about Israel’s vaccine drive drew harsh criticism from Jewish groups for spreading “harmful misinformation.”
“Hey @nbcsnl: this is how you do pandemic humor when it comes to Israel. Watch and learn from @SouthPark,” Erdan said.
Hey @nbcsnl: this is how you do pandemic humor when it comes to Israel. Watch and learn from @SouthPark pic.twitter.com/miMAS0dwry
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) March 11, 2021
In a later scene, a mock-El Al airplane arrives to fireworks, unveiling a muscular, bearded Israeli flinging boxes of vaccines to the townspeople.
“It’s Air Israel, with enough vaccines for every adult in town!” shouts the Mr. Garrison character, before the kippah-wearing Gerald Broflovski is shown jabbing himself with a dose.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself shared the scene on Twitter, writing in Hebrew, “Even in South Park they already know — in Israel they are coming back to life!”
גם בסאות'פארק כבר יודעים – בישראל חוזרים לחיים! pic.twitter.com/lgxhcoovN6
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 11, 2021
Israeli journalist Amichai Stein noted that the scene was poking fun at Israel’s controversial efforts to deliver inoculations to allied countries.
“Israeli vaccine diplomacy has arrived in South Park,” he tweeted.
With over 300 episodes aired, the show has already been renewed for its 26th season, through 2022.