Amihai Eliyahu

Amihai Eliyahu
עמיחי בן אליהו‎
Ministerial roles
2022–Minister of Heritage
Faction represented in the Knesset
2022–2023Otzma Yehudit
Personal details
Born (1979-04-24) 24 April 1979 (age 45)
Jerusalem, Israel
Political partyOtzma Yehudit
Children6[1]
Parent(s)Shmuel Eliyahu (father)
Mordechai Eliyahu (paternal grandfather)
Residence(s)Rimonim, Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, West Bank

Amihai Ben-Eliyahu (Hebrew: עמיחי בן אליהו; born 24 April 1979),[2][3] commonly known as Amihai Eliyahu (Hebrew: עמיחי אליהו), is an Israeli far-right[4][5][6] politician and activist who has been serving as Minister of Heritage since 2022. Eliyahu also briefly served as a member of the Knesset for Otzma Yehudit following the 2022 Israeli legislative election.

In 2023, Eliyahu received international attention for his suggestion that nuclear weapons be used in the Gaza Strip in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[5] He is a resident of the West Bank settlement of Rimonim.[7]

Biography

He was born in Jerusalem and raised in Shlomi, a town in Northern Israel. He is the son of Shmuel Eliyahu, and the grandson of Mordechai Eliyahu, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel. He attended various yeshivas across the country, and during his IDF service, he served in the Paratroopers Brigade.

Political career

Eliyahu and Itamar Ben-Gvir on 21 August 2022

Prior to joining Otzma Yehudit, he was a supporter of the National Union party.[7] He was placed 18th on the Yamina list of September 2019 Israeli legislative election, he didn't make into the Knesset since the alliance only won seven seats. Eliyahu was placed fourth on the Otzma Yehudit list in the 2022 Israeli legislative election,[7] and became an MK.[8]

He became Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage on 29 December 2022, and resigned from the Knesset on 1 January 2023 as part of the Norwegian Law.[3][9]

Political views

Eliyahu is a strong opponent of proposals for a two-state solution, describing the Green Line as a "fictitious line". He supports full Israeli annexation of the West Bank, and has called on Israel to "impose sovereignty on Judea and Samaria".[6]

Eliyahu has criticized both police and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over alleged preferential treatment towards Palestinians in the West Bank over settlers. In August 2023, he claimed that "the IDF, police and [security] services in the last three decades" had adopted "the world view of the Palestinian population, that automatically views the settlers as guilty".[10]

Eliyahu has also called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners.[11] In December 2023, he said that Israel "should fully occupy the Gaza Strip" after the war and build Israeli settlements there.[12]

Eliyahu in July 2024 urged his supporters to protest at Sde Teiman detention camp against the Israeli military police's detention of nine Israeli soldiers suspected of abuse of a Palestinian prisoner; Eliyahu then joined other right-wingers in illegally invading the Sde Teiman detention camp.[13]

2023 nuclear weapons comments controversy

In an interview with Radio Kol Berama during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Eliyahu claimed that the use of nuclear weapons was "one way" when discussing Israel's options in its ongoing military action in the Gaza Strip, adding "The second way is to discover what is important to them, what scares them, what deters them... They are not afraid of death." He also endorsed the displacement of Gaza's Palestinian population, stating "They can go to Ireland or deserts, the monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves." He also objected to humanitarian aid entering Gaza saying "we wouldn’t hand the Nazis humanitarian aid" and that there were no "uninvolved civilians in Gaza".[14]

Public response

Eliyahu's statement immediately sparked controversy in and outside of Israel. His comments were condemned by opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who described it as a "horrifying and insane remark" and urged his firing.[15] Eliyahu was also condemned by National Unity leader Benny Gantz and defense minister Yoav Gallant.[14] Gerry Carroll, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, condemned Eliyahu's comments in response to his suggestion that Palestinians be removed from Gaza and transferred to Ireland.[16]

In response, Eliyahu defended his statements, saying that "any sensible person" knew that the comments were "metaphorical", but maintained his support for a "powerful and disproportionate response to terrorism".[17] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disavowed his comments and announced his suspension from cabinet meetings.[18][5] However, Eliyahu took part in a cabinet telephone vote later that day.[19][20] National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is reported to have intervened on behalf of Eliyahu.[21]

Personal life

Eliyahu is married and has six children. He lives in Rimonim, an Israeli settlement in the Judean Hills east of Jerusalem on the West Bank of the Jordan River.[22][7]

References

  1. ^ "Who is Amichai Eliyahu? Israel Heritage Minister Suspended over Gaza Nuclear Comment". 6 November 2023.
  2. ^ הציונות הדתית בראשות בצלאל סמוטריץ ועוצמה יהודית בראשות איתמר בן גביר [Religious Zionism led by Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben Gvir] (in Hebrew). Government of Israel. 15 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b "חבר הכנסת עמיחי אליהו". Knesset (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  4. ^ Marsden, Ariella (5 November 2023). "Netanyahu backed down from firing minister who called to nuke Gaza". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Berman, Lazar (5 November 2023). "Netanyahu suspends from cabinet meetings minister who touted option of nuking Gaza". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Far-right minister says Green Line 'fictitious,' urges annexation of West Bank". The Times of Israel. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Ido Ben Porat (21 August 2022). "Rabbi Amihai Eliyahu joins Otzma Yehudit". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  8. ^ Bachner, Michael; Staff writer (15 November 2022). "As 25th Knesset sworn in, president urges MKs to end "addiction" to toxic discourse". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  9. ^ "אחרי שמונה לשר: עמיחי אליהו התפטר מהכנסת". Srugim (in Hebrew). Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Far-right minister: IDF, police have adopted Palestinian view that settlers are guilty". The Times of Israel. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Israeli minister calls for executing Palestinian prisoners". Middle East Monitor. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Far-right minister: Israel should fully occupy Gaza after war, rebuild settlements". The Times of Israel. 15 December 2023.
  13. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (30 July 2024). "'Bordering on anarchy': IDF chief sounds alarm after right-wing mob breaks into 2nd base". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  14. ^ a b Bachner, Michael (5 November 2023). "Far-right minister says nuking Gaza an option, PM suspends him from cabinet meetings". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Lapid slams Eliyahu's 'horrifying and insane remark,' urges PM to promptly fire him". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  16. ^ McCann, Joe (6 November 2023). "Israeli Minister's comments to banish Palestinians to Ireland condemned". Belfast Media Group. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Amichai Eliyahu has got to go – editorial". The Jerusalem Post. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Netanyahu says minister's remark about nuking Gaza is 'detached from reality'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  19. ^ Harel, Amos (6 November 2023). "Rumbling in the North as Israel Works Against U.S. Clock in Gaza". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  20. ^ Verter, Yossi (6 November 2023). "Netanyahu's Far-right Ministers Are His Assets, and for Israel a Liability". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  21. ^ TOI Staff (14 November 2023). "Rabbi backs remark by his son, a far-right minister, that nuking Gaza is an option". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Who are Itamar Ben-Gvir's fellow party members and what do they believe?". The Jerusalem Post. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.