Israeli lawmaker Zvi Sukkot smashes Palestinian memorial in West Bank under military escort

On August 25, 2026, far-right Israeli lawmaker Zvi Sukkot used a sledgehammer to vandalize a Palestinian memorial monument in the West Bank village of Madama while under military escort. The Israel Defense Forces accused Sukkot of acting deceptively to secure protection, diverting operational troops under strain. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leaders condemned the act as an illegal provocation, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defended Sukkot, arguing the monument commemorated terrorists.

Sukkot monument vandalism incident

• ▪Israeli Knesset member Zvi Sukkot and his aides used sledgehammers to vandalize and significantly damage a stone monument in the West Bank village of Madama on August 25, 2026.
• ▪Zvi Sukkot posted video footage of himself striking the Madama monument on social media, defending his actions by calling it a "terror monument" and stating he acted because the military failed to remove it.

IDF escort authorization dispute

• ▪The Israel Defense Forces criticized Zvi Sukkot for misusing military protection and diverting operational troops, placing soldiers at unnecessary risk while the military was under significant operational strain.
• ▪The Israel Defense Forces stated that its commanders instructed troops to halt the activity and quickly escort Zvi Sukkot and his aides out of Madama once the demolition was identified.
• ▪The Israel Defense Forces stated that Zvi Sukkot and his aides acted "deceptively and manipulatively" by departing from their approved tour framework to demolish the monument without authorization.

Political condemnations across spectrum

• ▪Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot and former prime minister Naftali Bennett condemned Zvi Sukkot, with Eisenkot calling his behavior a disgrace and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of enabling anarchists.
• ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident, stating that public figures taking the law into their own hands is wrong and prevents the military from focusing on its anti-terrorism missions.
• ▪Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defended Zvi Sukkot's actions, stating that Israel should have dismantled the monument a long time ago and criticizing opposition leaders for rushing to condemn Sukkot.

Monument commemorated Palestinian martyrs

• ▪The Madama monument commemorated 10 slain Palestinians with death dates ranging from 1930 to 2004, including militants Yaman Tayeb Ali Faraj and Shadi Nassar who were involved in suicide bombings.
• ▪The Madama monument featured an outline of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River with "Palestine" inscribed in Arabic, alongside faded letters indicating it was presented by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Settler violence in West Bank

• ▪The village of Madama has been targeted by multiple recent settler attacks, including an incident in August 2026 where extremists damaged the electrical grid and a May 2026 attack that hospitalized seven Palestinians.
• ▪Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Jannatah near Bethlehem attacked journalists and activists with stones and sticks on August 25, 2026, injuring at least five people and damaging vehicles.

6 sources