IDF condemns far right Israeli MK after Palestinian memorial damage electoral stunt

The IDF has accused a far right Israeli Member of the Knesset of acting “deceitfully and manipulatively” during a visit to a Palestinian village in the West Bank, in which he and others videoed themselves using sledgehammers to smash a monument.

Zvi Sukkot, an MK for the “Religious Zionist” party, visited the Palestinian village of Madama, near Nablus, as part of a tour coordinated with the Israeli military, accompanied by aides.

Once in the village, Sukkot began striking a monument with a hammer, claiming that it glorified as “martyrs” Palestinians who were involved in terror attacks on Israelis. Video footage of the incident appeared to show IDF soldiers in the vicinity, watching as Sukkot and his accomplices vandalised the memorial. The IDF said that when Sukkot began the vandalism, the soldiers in the vicinity radioed their commanders for orders, subsequently removing the MK and his staff from the vicinity.

As reported by Ynet, a security official said that the IDF had recommended postponing the tour because of recent tensions in the area, but the far right MK insisted on going ahead.

“Contrary to the coordination, the participants acted deceitfully and manipulatively, without authority and in complete violation of the approved framework, and began destroying one of the monuments in the village of Madama,” the IDF said. It described Sukkot’s behaviour as “serious” and putting soldiers “at unnecessary risk”.

In a statement from Sukkot, he claimed that he had “demanded that the army act to remove the monuments commemorating terrorists in the murderous villages of Madama and Burin, but unfortunately they remained in place. So I came myself and acted to remove them.”

Israel is due to hold elections in two months time, leading to an array of attempted political stunts intended to energise the perpetrator’s political base. Last week, Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the far right “Jewish Power” party, posted a video of a site which he boasted would be the place where Palestinians convicted of terror attacks would be hanged.

In response to Sukkot’s claim about the monument, the IDF said that it regularly removed monuments erected to glorify Palestinian terrorists, but only after coordination and approval from COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories).

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office condemned Sukkot’s actions in a statement released in Hebrew, saying that “the IDF is the sovereign authority in Judea and Samaria and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the political leadership,.

“Taking the law into one’s own hands, particularly by public officials, is unacceptable and interferes with the IDF’s ability to focus on its missions against terrorism and incitement.”

Gadi Eisenkot, a former Chief of Staff of the IDF who has emerged as the key challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that “Tzvi Succot’s behaviour is a disgrace to anyone who presumes to represent the public and be a leader. He lied to and misled the IDF and its commanders, harmed security, and tarnished the State of Israel as a whole. The violent provocateur who presumes to represent ‘Religious Zionism’ is doing a grave injustice to an entire sector.”

Eisenkot also criticised Netanyahu, whom he said had “dismantled in a coalition agreement the system that enabled security and governance in Judea and Samaria, is allowing anarchists like Tzvi Succot and his ilk to do as they please, endangering security in the settlements and damaging Israel’s standing in the world. It is forbidden to let them hold the reins of government for even one more day.”

Yair Lapid, leader of Israel’s Yesh Atid party, said that Sukkot “endangers the lives of Israeli soldiers, endangers the lives of Israeli civilians, endangers the lives of Jews abroad, destroys what remains of Israel’s image in the world. This is not Judaism, this is a cult.”

Benny Gantz, another former IDF Chief of Staff who chairs Israel’s ‘Blue and White’ party, said that “Israeli citizens deserve Knesset members who uphold the law. Tzvi Sukkot, who has already broken into an IDF base, endangered the lives of soldiers and civilians today for a political stunt in a campaign and a few likes on TikTok.

“This is neither right-wing nor nationalist – this is anarchy that only a broad and Zionist government without the extremists will be able to stop.”

Meanwhile, Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the ‘Religious Zionist’ party which Sukkot represents as an MK, said that ““what should truly disturb us is the frantic rush of the left-wing opposition leaders to condemn MK Sukkot rather than terrorism itself.”

He claimed that parties opposed to the current governing coalition, of which he is a member, intended to “form a government with overt supporters of terrorism, evacuate the settlements and farms we have established in Judea and Samaria, and establish a terrorist state in the heart of the country.

“That is the only thing that should disturb any sane person who desires to live in the State of Israel today.”