There’s shooting your mouth off and there’s what Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu did yesterday during an interview with the ultra-Orthodox Kol BaRama radio station.
When asked about the options for the Gaza Strip Eliyahu said every option is open. Pushed by the interviewer on whether Israel should just drop an atomic bomb on the territory, Eliyahu replied, “That’s one of the options.”
Upon being reminded of the more than 240 hostages being held in Gaza, Eliyahu said he would pray for their return but that “there is also a price to war.” He added that the lives of the hostages are not necessarily more important than the lives of the soldiers or citizens who are at risk from future terrorist attacks.
The far-right minister, from Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party, later said on X (formerly Twitter) that “any sensible person” knew the comments were “metaphorical.”
In his clarification, Eliyahu added, “But we still definitely need a powerful and disproportionate response to terrorism that will make it clear to the Nazis and their supporters that terrorism is not worthwhile,” he said. “This is the only formula that democratic states can use to deal with terrorism. At the same time, it is clear that the State of Israel is committed to doing everything possible to return the hostages safe and sound.”
Nonetheless, the toxic fallout of the nuclear statement immediately spread far and wide, drawing fire both within the Israeli political establishment and beyond.
Unanimous condemnation
It didn’t take long for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn Eliyahu’s remark and later announce that the minister would be suspended from all government meetings until further notice.
“Minister Amichai Eliyahu’s comments are disconnected from reality,” Netanyahu said. “Israel and the IDF function according to the highest standards of international law in order to prevent harming innocents, and we will continue to do so until victory.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Eliyahu’s “baseless comments,” adding that “it’s good that he isn’t the person in charge of Israel’s security.”
National Unity leader Minister Benny Gantz also blasted Eliyahu’s “unthinking, unnecessary, and irresponsible comment,” saying it “harms Israel’s values, causes heavy damage to diplomacy, and worst of all, adds to the pain of the hostages’ families.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said it was a shocking and crazy comment from an irresponsible minister and called for his dismissal.
“He caused harm to the families of the hostages, Israeli society, and our international standing,” he said. “The presence of extremists in the government endangers us and our success in the war’s objectives – victory over Hamas and the return of the hostages.”
The prime minister, however, stopped short of saying he would fire Eliyahu – even though, with Benny Gantz and others in the emergency cabinet, Netanyahu does not need to rely on coalition partners like Otzma Yehudit. Indeed, at a time when the government’s clear focus must be the war, bringing back the hostages held captive by Hamas, and the economic and social rehabilitation process, boutique ministries like Eliyahu’s heritage ministry are unnecessary. Their main functions could be streamlined within a few larger ministries and the funds directed to more important national missions.
Eliyahu, in that sense, is typical of the bloated government whose members have not yet fully internalized after a year in power that they must consider their words as well as their actions. Israel is currently involved in a public advocacy war no less than the physical war. Even if his comment was indeed – as he said – metaphorical, stupid comments that can be easily used against the country are a form of ammunition and there are always people in the social media and the world press who will be happy to use these types of statements to blacken Israel’s name.
It is one thing for private individuals to post comments on social media; it is quite another for government officials to make outrageous comments in public. In times like these, we must all take extraordinary care with how we express ourselves and senior officials should offer a positive example, not a negative one.
Enough is enough. His ministry is superfluous, his presence in government harmful, and his judgment woefully impaired. Eliyahu must go.