Key facts
- Israeli Knesset member Zvi Sukkot destroyed a Palestinian memorial in the occupied West Bank using a sledgehammer.
- Sukkot stated the memorial commemorated Palestinians who had killed Israelis and argued it should be removed to prevent inspiring future "martyrs".
- The Israeli military stated that the demolition was not authorized through proper channels and that its forces had halted the act.
- Sukkot's office claimed he acted because the army had not responded to his demands to destroy the memorial.
- The incident drew criticism from across Israel's political spectrum, with opposition figures accusing Sukkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of enabling lawlessness.
- Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that Israeli lawmakers are not the sovereign in the West Bank and that decisions must be made by the state.
An Israeli lawmaker, Zvi Sukkot, used a sledgehammer to destroy a Palestinian memorial in the occupied West Bank village of Madama, south of Nablus, on Tuesday. Sukkot, a member of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, stated the memorial commemorated Palestinians who had killed Israelis and argued it should be removed to prevent inspiring future "martyrs".
The Israeli military later stated that the demolition was not authorized through proper channels and that its forces had halted the act, describing Sukkot and his staff as having acted in a "deceptive and manipulative manner" that endangered soldiers. Sukkot's office, however, claimed he acted because the army had not responded to his demands to destroy the memorial.
The incident drew widespread criticism from across Israel's political spectrum. Opposition figures accused Sukkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of enabling lawlessness in the West Bank. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Sukkot's actions, stating that Israeli lawmakers are not the sovereign in the West Bank and that decisions must be made by the state and its authorities.
The memorial had reportedly stood for around 20 years and had never previously been damaged. Sukkot has a history of similar actions, including vandalizing a school in Jerusalem's Old City and attempting to enter a Palestinian school in Tuba-Zangariyye.