An Israeli far-right lawmaker has come under fire after using a sledgehammer to damage a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, an incident that the Israeli military said was carried out without authorisation but that residents fear could trigger more violence.MK Zvi Sukkot, a member of the ultranationalist Religious Zionist Party, travelled to the village of Madama, south of Nablus, on Tuesday (Aug 25) as part of what had been presented as a tour of West Bank villages.<h2>Sukkot shares footage of the destruction of the memorial</h2>Footage shared by Sukkot showed him at the site of a memorial honouring Palestinians killed in past conflicts. He said the monument "glorified terrorism" and argued that it should be removed."Every child who sees every day a giant monument that glorifies murderers of Jews will dream of being a terrorist," Sukkot wrote on X.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">כל ילד שרואה מדי יום אנדרטת ענק שמפארת רוצחי יהודים, יחלום להיות מחבל. יחד עם אנשי הקול היהודי פניתי לצה&quot;ל מספר פעמים בשבועות האחרונים בבקשה שיסירו את אנדרטאות הטרור בכל המרחב כחלק מהמלחמה בטרור, ואני מקווה מאוד שזה יקרה בהקדם האפשרי. בינתיים, טעימה קטנה מהבוקר בכפר מדמא… <a href="https://t.co/HPIMzrP3Pa">pic.twitter.com/HPIMzrP3Pa</a>&mdash; צבי סוכות (@tzvisuccot) <a href="https://x.com/tzvisuccot/status/2092141424900813230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-mojtaba-khamenei-alive-dead-iran-war-putting-on-show-mystery-1787800507116">'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate</a><h2>IDF says soldiers were misled</h2>Israeli forces were present during the incident, having been assigned to provide security for Sukkot and his aides.The IDF said Sukkot had requested protection for a "memorial tour" but then acted outside the agreed plan. "Contrary to the coordination, the participants acted deceitfully and manipulatively, without authority and in complete violation of the approved framework," the military said.According to the IDF, troops contacted their commanders after the demolition began and were instructed to intervene and remove the group from the village.The footage circulating online, however, did not show soldiers stepping in as the memorial was being damaged. Watch the video here:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">תיעוד: חבר הכנסת צבי סוכות ניפץ אנדרטה למחבל בכפר מדאמא שליד שכם<a href="https://x.com/HGoldich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HGoldich</a> <a href="https://x.com/glick_sh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@glick_sh</a> צילום: סעיף 27א <a href="https://t.co/CktNKehOG2">pic.twitter.com/CktNKehOG2</a>&mdash; כאן חדשות (@kann_news) <a href="https://x.com/kann_news/status/2092137153601896542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The military said the conduct was a serious misuse of the protection provided to the lawmakers and his associates.<h2>Village fears more violence</h2>Rami Nassar, head of the Madama village council, said the incident could encourage further attacks by settlers and increase pressure on Palestinian residents. "When an official Israeli politician acts like this, what can we expect from other radical settlers?" Nassar told The Jerusalem Post.He said the incident could lead to more raids, harassment, and damage to property. "It's worrying because it could fuel even more violent acts against Palestinians," Nassar said.Nassar also rejected Sukkot's claim about the effect of the memorial on children, asking why, if the monument had such an impact, there was no confrontation with children from the village when it was damaged.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/militarily-closed-iran-says-temporary-oman-route-does-not-mean-strait-of-hormuz-is-reopening-1787707227708">'Militarily closed': Iran says Oman route does not mean Strait of Hormuz is reopening</a><h2>Israeli politicians condemn Sukkot</h2>The episode has also sparked criticism within Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Sukkot "is not the sovereign in the territories of Judea and Samaria" and argued that decisions there must be taken by the state in coordination with security authorities.Opposition politician Yair Golan called for Sukkot's arrest in a post that was later deleted after Sukkot threatened legal action.Democratic Party lawmaker Gilad Kariv also criticised the military's role, questioning why forces were available to escort Sukkot while previous requests for military protection for other visits had reportedly been denied.The incident has added to already heightened tensions in the West Bank, with Palestinian officials warning that acts by Israeli political figures and settlers could further inflame the situation.

An Israeli far-right lawmaker has used a sledgehammer to damage a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, claiming it glorified terrorism. The Israeli military says the act was unauthorised, while Palestinian residents fear it could fuel further violence. Video of the incident is going viral.

An Israeli far-right lawmaker has come under fire after using a sledgehammer to damage a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, an incident that the Israeli military said was carried out without authorisation but that residents fear could trigger more violence. MK Zvi Sukkot, a member of the ultranationalist Religious Zionist Party, travelled to the village of Madama, south of Nablus, on Tuesday (Aug 25) as part of what had been presented as a tour of West Bank villages. Sukkot shares footage of the destruction of the memorial Footage shared by Sukkot showed him at the site of a memorial honouring Palestinians killed in past conflicts. He said the monument "glorified terrorism" and argued that it should be removed. "Every child who sees every day a giant monument that glorifies murderers of Jews will dream of being a terrorist," Sukkot wrote on X.

An Israeli far-right lawmaker has used a sledgehammer to damage a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, claiming it glorified terrorism. The Israeli military says the act was unauthorised, while Palestinian residents fear it could fuel further violence. Video of the incident is going viral.

'Glorifies terrorism': Israeli far-right MP Zvi Sukkot smashes Palestinian memorial with sledgehammer | WATCH

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'Glorifies terrorism': Israeli far-right MP Zvi Sukkot smashes Palestinian memorial with sledgehammer | WATCH