Zvi Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionism party, attacked a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank village of Madama with a sledgehammer while under military escort. The incident drew condemnation across the Israeli political spectrum.
The images are striking: an Israeli parliamentarian, surrounded by several people and escorted by soldiers, strikes a stone monument with a sledgehammer in the Palestinian village of Madama. Zvi Sukkot, an elected official from the far-right Religious Zionism party, justifies his action in the video: "This is something we cannot leave standing here, because any place that glorifies terrorism must be removed."
The targeted monument was erected in 2008, according to Rami Nasar, head of the Madama municipal council. It commemorates Palestinians who died in the Battle of Karameh, a one-day military confrontation in 1968 between the Israeli army, the PLO, and Jordan, as well as victims of the First and Second Intifadas. Nasar clarified that the memorial honored those who died in the conflict with Israel, regardless of their political affiliation.
The Israeli army (IDF) acknowledged the presence of its soldiers at the site. It stated that it had authorized a visit to monuments in the area for Sukkot, providing a security escort. However, the military maintains that the member of parliament and his companions acted deceptively and without authorization. The soldiers ultimately ended the incident and escorted the group out of the village after reporting the matter to their superiors.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement condemning the Sukkot attacks: "Taking the law into one's own hands, especially when public figures are involved, is a reprehensible practice that prevents the IDF from focusing on its missions to combat terrorism and incitement to violence."
Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's main rival in the upcoming parliamentary elections, called Sukkot's behavior "a disgrace to anyone who claims to represent the public and hold a leadership position." He also criticized Netanyahu for "allowing anarchists like Zvi Sukkot and his ilk to do as they please, endangering security in the settlements and damaging Israel's standing in the world."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party to which Sukkot belongs, directed his criticism at what he called "the frantic rush by the left-wing opposition to condemn Sukkot rather than terrorism itself."
The incident comes amid rising tensions in the West Bank. On Monday, Major General Avi Bluth, the highest-ranking Israeli military officer in the region, reportedly told Netanyahu during a closed-door meeting that escalating settler violence risked triggering a major escalation. Madama herself has already been the target of several settler attacks in recent months.
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