Extremist Israeli Lawmaker Suspended for Suggesting Nuke Strike on Gaza

Eliyahu's "metaphorical" comment sparks outrage

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu faces indefinite suspension from Israel’s cabinet meetings after his controversial remark about using nuclear weapons on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced. Netanyahu condemned Eliyahu’s statement as detached from reality, affirming that Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) operate under stringent international legal standards.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has sidelined Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu after his comment about using nuclear weaponry in Gaza, stressing that such ideas are far removed from the realities of Israeli defense operations. Despite Eliyahu’s claim that his words were not to be taken literally, the severity of the topic prompted Netanyahu to act, reinforcing the commitment to lawful military conduct.

Eliyahu, of Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right party, is not part of the security cabinet which is involved in the wartime decision-making, nor does he influence the war cabinet directing the war against Hamas.