Netanyahu backed down from firing minister who called to nuke Gaza

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu from Otzma Yehudit was suspended on Sunday from government meetings after he said dropping an atom bomb on Gaza is an option in an interview to Kol Barama on Sunday morning.

The statement was made in relation to his discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"We wouldn't have given the Nazis humanitarian aid," he said. "There's no such thing as innocents in Gaza."

When the interviewer asked whether Israel should just drop an atom bomb on the strip, Eliyahu replied that that was an option. Upon being reminded of the more than 240 hostages being held in Gaza, he said he would pray for their return but that "there is also a price to war."

Only two days earlier, Eliyahu had tweeted about destroying an entire city, comparing it to Sodom and Gamora.

"God taught Abraham that even though the people of Sodom were evil and sinners, the decision to obliterate them was made after they heard the screams of a girl being raped and didn't act mercifully," he wrote. "There is patience for evil that at some point needs to stop."

Comment is universally condemned within Israel

Eliyahu's comment was heavily criticized throughout the government.

"Minister Amichai Eliyahu's comments are disconnected from reality," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "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."

Netanyahu later announced that Eliyahu would be suspended from all government meetings until further notice but did not respond to a request for comment on whether he would consider firing Eliyahu.

Later on Sunday, an N12 report claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convinced against firing Eliyahu by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is Eliyahu's faction leader, who claimed in private conversations that firing the heritage minister is "unnecessary and disproportionate."

Despite his supposed suspension, Eliyahu was still able to take part in a vote put out to the ministers by phone as the meeting was cancelled.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Eliyahu's "baseless comments" and added that "It's good that he isn't the person in charge of Israel's security."

"Minister Eliyahu's unthinking, unnecessary, and irresponsible comment harms Israel's values, causes heavy damage to diplomacy, and worst of all, adds to the pain of the hostages' families," said National Unity leader Minister Benny Gantz.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said it was a shocking and crazy comment from an irresponsible minister.

"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."

He also called for Netanyahu to fire Eliyahu.

Labor leader Merav Michaeli said the heritage minister had to be distanced from politics, saying he was "a danger to the State of Israel."

"Dehumanisation and collective punishment is the way to genocide and war crimes," said Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas. "Gentlemen, there will be the day after the war. This isn't the end of history and not the end of days. I am sure and believe from the bottom of my heart that there will be peace between the two people."

Condemnations and calls to fire Eliyahu also came from outside the government including from the Brothers in Arms protest group.

"If Netanyahu and Gantz want to preserve the relative national consensus that exists these days and our relations with the rest of the world, they must fire Minister Amichai Eliyahu now," said the group.

Eliyahu later clarified that it should be clear to sensible people that the comment about an atom bomb was only metaphorical.

"But we still definitely need a powerful and unproportional 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."

 Ben-Gvir, who leads Otzma Yehudit, said that he also believed the comment to be a metaphor. He did, however, ban his party members from giving interviews and posting on social media as a result of Eliyahu's comment.

The comment was also condemned from abroad including by Saudi Arabia with whom Israel is trying to get a peace agreement.

"The minister's comments show the penetration of extremism and brutality among members of the Israeli government," said a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

"Such statements represent a severe and unacceptable violation of international law and international humanitarian law," said Jordan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. "It's a dangerous escalation that requires the international community to act immediately to confront it and confront hate speech with effective steps that will force Israel to stop its continuous attacks against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank and stop its violations of international law and international humanitarian law."

The UAE similarly condemned the comments, saying "These statements include a violation of international law, and incitement to commit serious violations of humanitarian law such as war crimes, which arouse the serious concern of intent to commit genocide."