Sukkot could have demanded its removal through the IDF, the government, or the courts. What he could not do was appoint himself judge, enforcement officer, and demolition crew.Follow us on GoogleMK Zvi Sukkot and several others seen smashing a monument in in Kafr Madama near Nablus, August 25, 2026.(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)ByJPOST EDITORIALAUGUST 26, 2026 05:59There are reasons for Israel to oppose monuments that glorify terrorists. That does not justify a Knesset member taking a sledgehammer into a Palestinian village and deciding that he is the law.Religious Zionist MK Zvi Sukkot entered the West Bank village of Madama near Nablus on Tuesday during an IDF-escorted tour and participated in destroying a monument that appeared to honor members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Palestinians killed during the intifada. Sukkot argued that such memorials glorify those who murdered Jews and encourage others to follow their example.There is a serious argument there. Societies reveal their values through those they choose to honor, and Israel should not ignore incitement or the glorification of terrorism.But that is not the issue here.According to the IDF, Sukkot requested military protection for what was presented as a tour of monuments. Soldiers were diverted from operational duties to provide security. The army says Sukkot and those accompanying him then acted outside the approved plan and began destroying the monument without authorization.Member of Knesset Zvi Sukkot leads a vote during a meeting of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, July 6, 2026. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)Self-appointed judge, enforcer, demolitionistThe IDF called their conduct deceitful and manipulative.A member of Knesset does not acquire executive authority because he believes the authorities have failed to act. If Sukkot believed the monument was illegal or constituted incitement, he had every right to demand its removal. He could appeal to the IDF, the Civil Administration, the government, or the courts. He could raise the issue in the Knesset.What he could not do was appoint himself judge, enforcement officer, and demolition crew.That is not governance. It is vigilantism.The principle matters beyond one monument. Israel is a sovereign state because it possesses institutions that exercise authority according to law. Its army uses force under orders. Its police enforce laws. Its courts settle disputes. Elected officials make policy, but they do not carry it out with sledgehammers when the state does not move quickly enough.Once such distinctions disappear, every group can claim its cause is righteous enough to justify bypassing the law.There is a security cost.A day earlier, Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth reportedly warned that nationalist crime could be the “match” that ignites a broader West Bank escalation. The army is stretched across multiple fronts. Troops should be protecting Israelis and preventing terrorism, not diverted to provide cover for political stunts.Sukkot says his actions were about protecting Jews. Yet consuming military resources and inflaming a volatile arena does not make Jews safer.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the incident unacceptable. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said such monuments should be removed but stressed that the IDF alone should do so.That distinction matters.Existence of Israel, institutions bestows responsibility on JewsThe episode deserves more than a political rebuke because it touches something deeper about Jewish sovereignty.For centuries, Jews knew what it meant to live without power, dependent on rulers who might protect them one year and persecute them the next. The creation of Israel changed that. Jews now possess an army, a government, courts, police, and the ability to defend themselves.That power carries responsibilities.Jewish sovereignty was not created so that Jews could enjoy the privilege of lawlessness.Strength does not mean acting without restraint. It means having the power to act while choosing to remain within the law.Israel’s enemies portray the Jewish state as motivated by vengeance, domination, and contempt for Palestinians. Those accusations are often dishonest and politically motivated. Israel should reject them forcefully.But it should also refuse to provide images that reinforce that caricature.What lesson does an Israeli child learn from seeing an elected lawmaker participate in destroying a monument while soldiers stand nearby? That laws matter only until someone believes strongly enough that he is right? That Jewish sovereignty gives individuals permission to use force whenever institutions disappoint them?That cannot be the message.Israel has every right to confront incitement and prevent the glorification of terrorism. The IDF says it removes monuments and symbols deemed incitement when authorized to do so.The Jewish answer to lawlessness cannot be Jewish lawlessness.Sukkot’s actions represented neither Jewish strength nor responsible leadership. Jewish power means the ability to defend ourselves while remaining governed by law.That is a far stronger answer to our enemies than any sledgehammer.Follow us on Google