Israeli far-right MP Zvi Sukkot attempted to destroy a memorial dedicated to the memory of Palestinian "martyrs" in a village in the West Bank, claiming they were "terrorists". The incident was condemned by the Israeli army and political class. "A few days ago, I asked the army to intervene to remove monuments commemorating terrorists responsible for attacks against Israelis in the villages of Madama and Burin. Unfortunately, they remained in place. That's why I went to the site myself and took steps to remove them," Sukkot explains in a video showing him attempting to destroy the memorial with a hammer.
The Israeli army, which accompanied the MP during this visit to Palestinian villages in the northern West Bank, denounced "the deceptive and manipulative way" in which Sukkot used the military's presence. "IDF soldiers assigned to operational missions in the area were diverted from their duties to carry out this activity and exposed to unnecessary risks, while the IDF operates under strong pressure," the Israeli army emphasized in a statement. Israeli Foreign Minister Gidéon Saar stated on X that "MP Sukkot, like all MPs, is not the sovereign authority" in the West Bank. Former minister and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival ahead of the next elections, Gadi Eizenkot, reacted on X by accusing Netanyahu, "who allows anarchists like Zvi Sukkot and their ilk to do whatever they want, jeopardizing the security of Israeli communities and damaging Israel's position in the world."
