Far-right Israeli lawmaker attacks Palestinian memorial
Zvi Sukkot damaged Palestinian monument in occupied West Bank under military escort, prompting condemnation over settler violence
NABLUS, Palestine (MNTV) — Far-right Israeli lawmaker Zvi Sukkot has damaged a Palestinian memorial in the occupied West Bank with a sledgehammer while accompanied by Israeli soldiers, in an incident that has intensified criticism over attacks against Palestinian communities.
Video footage showed Sukkot, a member of Israel’s Religious Zionism party, repeatedly striking the stone monument in the village of Madama alongside several others. The group was accompanied by Israeli military personnel during the incident.
Sukkot defended the destruction by claiming the monument glorified terrorism and should not remain standing. Palestinian residents, however, said the memorial commemorates Palestinians killed during conflicts with Israel over several decades.
Rami Nasar, head of Madama’s village council, said the monument was built in 2008 to commemorate Palestinians killed during the 1968 Battle of Karameh, as well as Palestinians who died during the First and Second Intifadas.
Nasar said the memorial was intended to honor Palestinians killed during the conflict regardless of their political affiliations.
The Israeli military acknowledged that its soldiers were present and said it had approved a tour of monuments in the area for Sukkot while providing security for the group.
The Israel Defense Forces later claimed Sukkot and those accompanying him had acted without authorization and used deception to carry out the destruction.
The military said its personnel eventually intervened, stopped the group and escorted them out of Madama after reporting the incident to their commanders.
The episode has renewed scrutiny of the conduct of Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, particularly following previous incidents in which soldiers have been accused of failing to intervene during attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Madama has itself faced repeated attacks by settlers, adding to concerns over escalating violence and intimidation against Palestinian communities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office criticized Sukkot, saying public figures should not take the law into their own hands and arguing that such actions distract the military from its stated security responsibilities.
Gadi Eisenkot, a leading opposition figure and Netanyahu’s rival in the upcoming election, called Sukkot’s conduct disgraceful and accused the government of allowing extremist figures to operate with impunity.
Eisenkot also argued that such actions threaten security in Israeli settlements and further damage Israel’s international standing.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, instead condemned what he described as opposition figures’ focus on criticizing Sukkot rather than condemning Palestinian attacks.
The confrontation comes amid growing concern within Israel’s security establishment over escalating settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli media reported that Major General Avi Bluth, the military’s senior commander in the West Bank, recently warned Netanyahu that continued settler violence could trigger a broader escalation.
The destruction of the memorial has further highlighted the increasingly blurred line between extremist settler activity and the security environment maintained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory, where Palestinians continue to face violence, displacement and restrictions.
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