Israeli Heritage Minister Questions Protestors' Combat Readiness

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, from the Otzma Yehudit party, stated on Tuesday that he does not wish to draft individuals who participate in anti-government protests into combat roles, expressing doubt about their willingness to charge into battle. Eliyahu made these remarks during an election panel at a Tel Aviv school, adding that he aims to reform the education system to foster greater dedication among students.

This statement marks another controversial utterance from the minister. Critics argue that such comments, along with those from other ministers, harm Israel's international public relations efforts. Eliyahu, who is ranked fourth on the Otzma Yehudit list, has previously drawn criticism for suggesting that protests for the release of hostages encourage Hamas and for advocating that hostages be treated as prisoners of war, to be dealt with only after Hamas is defeated.

Eliyahu, whose ministerial position was created in 2015 for coalition purposes, has a history of making provocative statements. In November 2023, he did not rule out the possibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, suggesting it as one option for dealing with the enclave, while also stating that all of Gaza should become Jewish. Earlier in 2023, he appeared to downplay the urgency of military responses in Gaza, prioritizing the government's judicial reform efforts.

His past comments also include suggesting that hostage release protests create motivation for Hamas and that the focus should be on defeating Hamas before addressing the hostages' situation.