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Sledgehammer at Madama
Israeli Knesset member Zvi Sukkot smashed a Palestinian Martyrs' Monument in the village of Madama, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, using a sledgehammer while he was accompanied by Israeli military forces.
“Zvi Sukkot, a member of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, was filmed smashing the Palestinian Martyrs' Monument”
The Israeli military later said the destruction was not authorised, stating that Sukkot and his aides “acted deceptively and manipulatively, without authorization, departing entirely from the approved framework, and began demolishing one of the monuments in Madama.”
The New York Times reported that video showed Israeli troops standing by as Sukkot attacked the monument with a sledgehammer, and that at least two soldiers stood nearby without trying to stop him.
Sukkot defended his actions by saying the monument included the names of individuals involved in attacks against Israelis, and he said “We must take it down,” adding he wanted it destroyed because children passing it would be inspired to become “martyrs” themselves.
Condemnation and disputes
Opposition figures condemned Sukkot’s conduct, with Gadi Eisenkot saying on X that “Sukkot's behaviour is a disgrace for someone who claims to represent the public and be a leader,” and Yair Golan saying the Israeli lawmaker “should be behind bars, not in Israel's Knesset.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticised the act while stopping short of directly condemning the destruction, saying Sukkot and other Israeli lawmakers were “not the sovereign” in the West Bank and that “decisions must be made and carried out by the state and its authorities.”
The Israeli military said it had halted the demolition after troops reported the incident to commanders, and it described the episode as a serious breach of authority while also saying its forces “regularly destroy memorials and symbols of incitement”.
In Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported that Finance Minister and Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich scolded Sukkot and demanded he not act again without proper authorization and authority.
What comes next
The incident was framed by multiple outlets as part of a wider political and security context, with the Middle East Eye reporting that the criticism followed warnings of a potential escalation in the West Bank and that the Tuesday footage drew condemnation across Israel’s political spectrum.
“a provocative act that comes amid rising violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank”
The New York Times described the episode as “a provocative act that comes amid rising violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank,” and it said the military stated Sukkot and his aides were escorted out of the village after soldiers reported the incident.
The Jerusalem Post said the IDF condemned Sukkot’s actions while confirming troops were diverted from standard operational duties to guard Sukkot and his aides on what it called a “memorial tour” in Areas A and B, and it quoted the IDF statement that participants acted “without authority and in complete violation of the approved framework.”
In the aftermath, Sukkot continued to argue that he acted after appealing to the IDF to remove what he described as “terror monuments throughout the area,” and he posted that “a small taste” was what he delivered in Madama while calling for the destruction of similar memorials.