Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended a junior member of his cabinet on Sunday for allegedly suggesting dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza to attack the Hamas militant group.
In a statement, the prime minister's office said that the minister concerned, identified as Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, was suspended from cabinet meetings "until further notice." He was a member of a far-right party in the coalition government.
Israeli Minister's Nuclear Bomb Suggestion
When asked about a hypothetical nuclear option during a radio interview, Eliyahu said it was one way to go about things. His comment immediately drew condemnation from around the Arab world. It scandalized mainstream Israeli broadcasters and was deemed "objectionable" by a U.S. official.
Neither Eliyahu nor his party leader are in the streamlined ministerial forum running the Gaza war. Additionally, neither would they have inside knowledge of Israel's nuclear capabilities, which the country does not publicly acknowledge or even have the authority to activate them, as per Reuters.
Netanyahu's office said that the minister's statements were not based in reality as Israel and the IDF operate under the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. It added that it would continue to do so until they claim victory against the Hamas militant group.
In a statement, the League of Arab States said that the racist comments of Eliyahu are starting to show. It noted that not only does the minister admit that Israel possesses a nuclear weapon, but he also confirmed the reality of the nation's abhorrent racist view towards the Palestinian people.
So far, roughly 9,500 people have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas, prompting international concern over the Middle Eastern nation's continued assaults. The situation also prompted a troubleshooting visit to the Middle East by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the weekend.
During Eliyahu's interview, he also compared Hamas with the Nazis, saying that no one would have given the latter any humanitarian aid. He also said, "There's no such thing as innocents in Gaza," according to The Hill.
Facing Mounting Pressure
Regarding Eliyahu's comment, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned the baseless and irresponsible words. He added that it was good that these were not the people in charge of the Middle Eastern country's security.
In a Sunday morning statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Netanyahu to fire Eliyahu. He called the minister's remarks "shocking and crazy" and noted that his extremist position "endangers" Israeli society and the way that it is viewed across the world.
In a later statement, Eliyahu sought to correct his remarks and said that it was clear to sensible people that his reference to nuclear weapons was "metaphorical." The situation comes as Netanyahu's government has been under mounting pressure for the failures of Israeli intelligence in preventing the surprise attacks from Hamas.
Netanyahu's coalition was viewed as the most right-wing in Israel's history prior to the conflict with the Hamas militant group. It has faced popular dissent over a controversial judicial reform that triggered mass protests across the nation, according to Politico.
