JERUSALEM: Israel’s government on Sunday reprimanded Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu for his provocative remarks advocating the possibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on war-torn Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office labeled Eliyahu’s comments as “disconnected from reality” and suspended the junior minister from government meetings “until further notice.”
Eliyahu’s inflammatory statements, made during an interview with Israel’s Kol Barama radio, drew widespread condemnation both within Israel and across the Middle East. When asked if he advocated using an atomic bomb on Gaza, Eliyahu replied, “That is one option.”
Criticism of Israel Minister’s Controversial Comments
The Hostages and Missing Persons and Families Forum condemned Eliyahu’s comments as “reckless and cruel,” emphasizing the strict prohibition of mass destruction weapons under international law and human morality.
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Israel, which has never officially acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, faced criticism from Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who pointed to the remarks as evidence of Israel’s possession of nuclear arms. Jordan condemned the remarks as a “call for genocide and a hate crime” against the Palestinians.
