Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Amihai Eliyahu is just the latest to make some wild commentary we’ve heard about Israel possibly using nuclear weapons in Gaza. Not thinking through the ramifications of such an act, it’s unclear whether ministers are just speaking hyperbolically or are serious about the ridiculous idea.
“Why are the lives of the abductees, whose release I really want, more important than the lives of the soldiers and the people who will be murdered later?” Amihai Eliyahu told Radio Kol Berama on November 5.
Considering the proximity to the Gaza Strip, the notion of using nuclear weapons is absurd in the damage the fallout would do in itself. Such suggestions indicate that either the concern for Israelis doesn’t matter to some leaders or that they have no idea about what they are suggesting. If you think this is insane, Benjamin Netanyahu would agree with you.
While many Israelis blame Netanyahu’s complacency for allowing the horrible Hamas attack on Oct. 7, it’s a wonder what those Israelis also think about some of these extremist politicians. No one in their right mind would even suggest such a thing which makes me believe they’re being facetious more than anything else.
Maybe they wanted attention, which they got. But I doubt they expected the backlash they’re receiving not just from Israelis but from the whole world. Considering Netanyahu’s far-right extremist beliefs and his belief that these types of comments are too far even for him, one has to wonder if leaders like this will have a political future in the short term, let alone the long term.
If Netanyahu’s future is already in question, theirs are surely doomed.
