"I'm honored that you've chosen to pay tribute to Pfizer in this Independence Day ceremony," Bourla began.מצד אחד אלברט בורלא הביא חיסונים להציל את ישראל.מצד שני בזמן הנאום נרשמו מאות התקפי מירמור והתקפי לב לחמוצים. https://t.co/EUlAcJxN6p
— miri barbi (@MiriBarbi) April 14, 2021
"Along with other Jews in the world, I take immense pride in Israel. Pride in the fact that Israel is there for Jews everywhere, for us and for our children. Pride in Israel's achievements in science, technology, innovation, and so much more" he told the audience.
"This year, the partnership between Israel and Pfizer produced yet another groundbreaking achievement," he said. "Together we are demonstrating that through mass vaccinations, we can defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and save lives. I want to thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and all the Pfizer colleagues in Israel. We have been shown that there is a path back to normalcy – and that is definitely something the entire world can celebrate."
The CEO concluded by saying "Happy Independence Day" in Hebrew.
There were many who expressed their gratitude towards Bourla on Twitter for his help in bringing the Pfizer vaccine to Israel.
I read today: Pfizer's CEO, Albert Burla, a Thessaloniki Jew whose family was mostly exterminated in the Holocaust, organized it so that the first place in Thessaloniki where vaccinations were given was in the Jewish nursing home "Shaul Modiano," Michaelzil tweeted on January 6. "The first to be vaccinated was 90-year-old Zana Satsoglu, who lost her entire family in Auschwitz."
קראתי היום: מנכ"ל פייזר, אלברט בורלא, יהודי סלוניקאי שמרבית משפחתו הושמדה בשואה, אירגן את זה כך שהמקום הראשון בסלוניקי שבו ניתנו חיסונים היה בבית האבות היהודי "שאול מודיאנו". המתחסנת הראשונה הייתה זאנה סאטסוגלו, בת ה-90, שאיבדה את כל משפחתה באושוויץ. pic.twitter.com/b3tWEGMypn
— Michaelzil (@michaelzil) January 6, 2021
Others, however, tweeted their disapproval, claiming a business deal between Pfizer and Israel does not give Bourla the honor to speak of his Zionism at an Independence Day ceremony.
הודלף סרטון הברכה של מנכ״ל פייזר אלברט בורלא pic.twitter.com/5Bzkv0sU62
— Reshef Shay (@Rereshef) April 14, 2021