Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just taken a firm stance against a remark made by one of his cabinet members regarding the Gaza Strip. Hoping to protect the reputation of Israel and its allies, Netanyahu has suspended Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu from participating in any further cabinet meetings until further notice.
The US State Department have also condemned Eliyahu’s comments and Netanyahu’s response is being seen as a strong message that such rhetoric will not be tolerated.
Eliyahu made inflammatory comments about using nuclear weapons against Hamas when he stated it was “one way” to defeat them. He later dismissed these words as “obviously metaphorical” but also noted that a “strong and disproportionate response to terrorism is definitely required”.
????#BREAKING: Israeli PM Netanyahu suspends minister Amichai Eliyahu for suggesting Israel should drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) November 5, 2023
His words were strongly condemned both within Israel and outside of it; Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced him on Twitter, claiming his statements “harmed Israeli society and harmed our international standing” while the US State Department said they were “objectionable”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, issuing a tweet denouncing Eliyahu’s statement as “not based in reality”, noting that Israel operates with “the highest standards of international law” when defending itself. In addition, he announced Eliyahu would no longer be participating in any policy votes or decisions until further notice – though reports indicate this hasn’t been strictly enforced yet.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
Minister Amihai Eliyahu's statements are not based in reality. Israel and the IDF are operating in accordance with the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will continue to do so until our victory.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 5, 2023
It is clear that Netanyahu wants to ensure all nations are confident Israel will only respond with legal methods if attacked and so far his actions have sent this message loud and clear.
Israel remains famously ambiguous over their alleged possession of nuclear weapons since the 1960s according to some sources; they refuse to acknowledge whether or not this is true which can lead other countries uncertain about how they should react if provoked by them militarily.
It appears then that Netanyahu’s reaction to Eliyahu’s remarks may be an attempt at reassuring other countries that despite the ambiguity surrounding their nuclear capabilities, they remain committed to taking action only within legal limits if threatened or attacked.