Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly responded to Minister of Jewish Heritage Amihai Eliyahu after the latter called for a nuclear bomb to be dropped on Gaza, deciding to bar him from attending government meetings and deeming his statement "unrealistic." This punishment seems trivial in light of Eliyahu’s remarks. In Israeli opposition circles, it is said that the least punishment he deserves is being dismissed from the government, having his immunity lifted, and facing trial. However, this is not the case for Netanyahu, who lacks the courage of a leader who sets matters straight and makes decisive decisions, while also not wanting to open a front with the extreme right within his government.
Eliyahu's statements, though detrimental to Netanyahu's government both internally and externally, reflect the nature of this government and the "origins and principles" of the ideology governing the form and substance of the war on Gaza. This government contains significant and influential forces espousing a fascist ideology that views Arabs in general, and Palestinians in particular, as subhuman, justifying their extermination. The devastating bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed 10,000 lives, including 7,000 children and women, is one proof of this.
Eliyahu, coming from a deeply entrenched racist ideological background inherited from his father, who was known for his supremacist statements (forbidding Jews from selling their homes to Arabs), and his party "Jewish Power," which bases its policy on the expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland, is not alone. Other ministers from "more moderate" parties have also spoken in an equally hostile and fascistic tone. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stated on the eve of entering Gaza: "We will impose a strict siege on the city of Gaza, no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed; we are fighting human animals, and we will act accordingly."
Therefore, Eliyahu’s remarks represent an "escalation" in the ongoing recklessness and madness exhibited by the Israeli government. Meanwhile, amidst international and local considerations, Eliyahu's party calls for "not to exaggerate the matter," suggesting that "his intention was that the current use of military force is insufficient to teach Hamas the lesson that terrorism is futile," and that "any sane person understands that talking about a nuclear bomb is a figurative expression."
It is worth noting that Minister Eliyahu, 44, is one of the deputies in the "Jewish Power" party, considered among the "moderates." He is the only deputy from his party who refrains from provocative visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque courtyards and maintains friendly relations with liberal Jewish movements. He served in the Israeli army, unlike some of his peers who were discharged for their engagement in religious studies.
