‘All Gaza Will Be Jewish’: Israeli Minister Sparks Global Fury

On Thursday, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu ignited a political and diplomatic storm after declaring that Israel is actively working toward the destruction of Gaza and envisioning a future where the territory is exclusively Jewish.

His remarks, aired during an interview with the Haredi radio station Kol Barama, drew harsh criticism both domestically and internationally, eventually prompting a rare rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The government is advancing efforts to wipe Gaza off the map,” Eliyahu said.

“Thank God, we are eliminating this evil. We’re dealing with a population that’s been brought up on ‘Mein Kampf.’”

He further stated that Gaza would be cleared to allow Jewish settlement, emphasizing that Jewish towns should not be “enclosed in cantons.”

“All of Gaza will be Jewish,” he declared.

However, Eliyahu added a caveat, saying that Arab residents loyal to Israel could remain.

“We’re not racists,” the far-right Otzma Yehudit member insisted.

“We are targeting those who target us.”

The minister also dismissed international concerns about a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

He denied reports of widespread hunger, describing them as part of a smear campaign against Israel.

“There is no hunger in Gaza,” he claimed.

“This isn’t our problem, let the world worry about it.”

Despite mounting evidence and repeated warnings from aid organizations, Eliyahu minimized the crisis, asserting that Israel’s focus should remain on defeating what he referred to as “monsters.”

His statements come at a time when Israel faces growing international condemnation over its handling of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Several global leaders and organizations have raised alarm over the risk of famine, despite Israeli claims that it facilitates aid deliveries.

Israel has released images showing aid trucks waiting inside Gaza, yet the UN argues that ongoing conflict and dangerous conditions make effective distribution nearly impossible.

Opposition politicians in Israel reacted swiftly and forcefully.

Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition and former prime minister, described Eliyahu’s comments as “a moral collapse and a public relations disaster.”

He emphasized that the Israeli military is not sacrificing lives to “wipe out a civilian population.”

Yair Golan, leader of the Democratic Union, wrote on social media that the government had “lost its sanity.”

Meanwhile, MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash-Ta’al alliance, compared Eliyahu’s rhetoric to that of Nazi Germany.

Labor Party MK Gilad Kariv denounced Eliyahu as a dangerous nationalist advocating for war crimes.

Kariv warned that his continued presence in government taints Israel’s global reputation and Jewish ethical standards.

“He is violating international law and the very principles of the State of Israel,” Kariv said.

Late Thursday night, Netanyahu finally addressed the controversy in a statement posted in English on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

“Minister Eliyahu does not represent the government I lead,” the prime minister wrote, clarifying that Eliyahu does not sit on Israel’s security cabinet, which directs the war effort.

However, Netanyahu stopped short of announcing any disciplinary measures, despite Eliyahu’s history of making provocative and inflammatory comments about Palestinians.

Earlier that evening, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter attempted to downplay the situation, saying the minister’s remarks did not reflect official government policy.

“The quotes attributed to Minister Eliyahu are wrong, foolish, and completely unrepresentative of the Israeli government or its people,” Leiter stated.

His comment suggested ambiguity over whether Eliyahu had indeed made the comments, despite them being broadcast live.

Eliyahu, known for his hardline views, is no stranger to controversy.

In May, he advocated bombing Gaza’s food and fuel supplies as a way to pressure Hamas, even if it meant targeting civilians.

In November 2023, he suggested that using a nuclear bomb on Gaza was “an option”, a claim Netanyahu labeled “detached from reality.”

That nuclear remark was later cited by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Eliyahu boasted that his comments had drawn attention in The Hague, interpreting it as validation of his stance.

Such incendiary rhetoric has been seized upon by critics of Israel as evidence of genocidal intent, a charge Israel vehemently denies.

Israeli officials argue that Hamas bears responsibility for civilian casualties by embedding itself within densely populated areas and using civilians as shields.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a large-scale assault on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Since then, over 58,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. These figures remain unverified and do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

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