IDF says far-right MK acted in a ‘false and manipulative manner,’ demolishing monument in a Palestinian village

The IDF said Tuesday that MK Zvi Sukkot's demolition of a monument to terrorists in the village of Madama near Nablus violated the terms of a coordinated escort, calling the episode a serious breach of authority. According to the military, Sukkot requested on August 12 to conduct a "monument tour" of villages in the West Bank, including Beta, Burin and Madama. IDF forces were diverted from other missions to secure the tour on Tuesday morning.

"Contrary to coordination, the participants acted in a false and manipulative manner, without authority and in complete contradiction to the approved outline, and began to destroy one of the monuments in the village of Madama," the IDF said, adding that once the force recognized what was happening, commanders ordered the demolition stopped and the group removed from the village.

The military said the diverted forces "acted unnecessarily, all while the IDF was under operational strain," and stated: "The IDF views the conduct and lack of coordination by the MK as serious, and as an exploitation of the security of the security forces for a complete violation of authority."

The IDF added that it regularly destroys monuments and symbols of incitement under proper permits and in coordination with the Civil Administration, saying another such operation is planned soon.

IDF sources separately told i24NEWS that the entry into the village had been coordinated but the demolition itself was not, and that the armed man filmed during the incident was one of Sukkot's private security guards. Once the security force detected the demolition, it reported to the Samaria Brigade, whose senior command ordered the patrol ended immediately; the group was removed from the village within minutes.

Sukkot, chairman of the Knesset Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria Affairs, had demanded the monument's removal in a press release last week after a report by The Jewish Voice revealed the village had held a ceremony commemorating "Martyr Yaman Faraj," former head of the military wing of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, involved in a series of attacks against Israelis during the Second Intifada.

Sukkot cited the killing of 19-year-old Adva Fischer by a terrorist from the village and vowed to return "again and again" until the monuments were removed.

MK Yair Golan criticized Sukkot's actions in a post on X, writing that Sukkot was "trying with his own hands to ignite more fire and more war," and said he "should be behind bars, not in the Israeli Knesset." Golan accused the governing coalition of using confrontation and incitement "as a method of work," saying, "As long as the public is afraid and fighting each other, they can continue to rule."