Israeli lawmaker smashes West Bank memorial while under IDF escort

On August 25, Zvi Sukkot, a right-wing Knesset member and settler activist, entered the Palestinian village of Madama in the northern West Bank and used a sledgehammer to demolish a memorial commemorating local “martyrs.” Although Israeli soldiers provided security for the visit, the IDF later described the action as a deceptive breach of the agreed-upon coordination and ordered the troops to stop the demolition and escort the party out.

Military officials said Sukkot’s conduct represented a severe misuse of the protection offered by the forces. The incident drew rebuke from several Israeli politicians, including Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who reminded that no Knesset member holds sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who called the act a disgrace and warned it harms Israel’s standing. Village council head Rami Nassar explained the monument listed names of those killed in a 1968 battle and subsequent intifadas. The episode unfolds as violence in the West Bank has risen since the Gaza war and as Israel prepares for national elections on October 27.