Netanyahu, Edelstein with the millionth Israeli to be vaccinated
Netanyahu, Edelstein with the millionth Israeli to be vaccinatedHaim Zach/GPO

An Israeli-Arab man who was photographed with Prime Minister Binyamin Netenyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein last week lashed out at the media Sunday evening, following reports he had been incarcerated for murder.

Last Friday, Netanyahu and Edelstein held a photo op with 66-year-old Umm al-Fahm resident Muhammad Abd al-Wahab Jabarin, the one-millionth person in Israel to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

On Sunday, however, it was discovered the Jabarin had served time in an Israeli prison.

According to a report by Kan News, Jabarin served twenty years in prison for a double murder.

City officials said they were very surprised by the choice of Jabarin to be photographed alongside the prime minister, and stated that the organizers of the well-publicized vaccine probably knew nothing about his past.

Later on Sunday, however, Jabarin spoke out against the Kan News report, denying the claim that he had been convicted of murder.

“It is a lie that I sat in jail for murder. I sat only for robbery and weapon possession. And I was freed in 1992. It’s all nice and fine, until they start to discredit people," Jabarin told Kan.

Jabarin noted the criticism directed at Netanyahu and Edelstein for taking part in the photo op with him, and said he would vote for the Likud in the upcoming elections.

“They want to smear Netanyahu through me. In the coming elections I’m going to vote Likud.”