MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionist Party) confirmed he had destroyed a monument in Kafr Madama near Nablus, after footage circulated on social media and was shared by Israeli outlets on Tuesday morning.
The monument appears to be in honor of members of the al-Aqsa brigade and Palestinians killed in the intifada.
"Every child who sees every day a giant monument that glorifies murderers of Jews will dream of being a terrorist," Sukkot said in a post to X/Twitter.
He claimed that he had taken action after appealing to the IDF several times to remove the "terror monuments throughout the area," and that destroying the monument in the village was"a small taste."
“There is no place for support of terror in the State of Israel!" he wrote.
Sukkot could also be seen filming the incident on his personal phone, while someone else struck the monument with a sledgehammer. Israeli forces can be seen guarding the MK and those accompanying him in the footage, with a military vehicle blocking the street.
The IDF confirmed that it had diverted troops from standard operational duties to guard Sukkot and his aides on what he called a 'memorial tour' in several villages in Areas A and B in the West Bank.
"Contrary to the coordination, the participants acted deceitfully and manipulatively, without authority and in complete violation of the approved framework, and began demolishing one of the memorials in the village of Madama,” the IDF stated, claiming the soldiers spoke with their commanders after seeing what was happening, and were instructed to intervene and remove the group from the village.
“The IDF views the MK's conduct and lack of coordination as serious, and as an exploitation of the protection provided by security forces in order to act in complete excess of his authority,” the military added, while emphasizing that the IDF does regularly demolish memorials and symbols of incitement with required approvals and in coordination with the Civil Administration.
The footage shared did not show soldiers intervening.
A spokesperson for the IDF told The Jerusalem Post that the soldiers had not been sent with a photographer, as these assignments typically don't require one, and therefore were unable to provide footage of the soldiers intervening.
The Post reached out to RZP for clarification.
Village council head: Sukkot's actions could lead to more West Bank violence
Kafr Madama village council head Rami Nassar told The Jerusalem Post that Sukkot's actions could lead to more violence against Palestinians in the West Bank village.
“When an official Israeli politician acts like this, what can we expect from other radical settlers? It could push them to follow in his footsteps, leading to more raids and causing harm and harassment to residents and their property," Nassar said.
"It’s worrying because it could fuel even more violent acts against Palestinians."
Nassar also decried Sukkot's statements about the village's children.
"Our community wants to live in peace, but what he did is incitement that can make people feel like they’re about to explode from within. Violence and escalation need to stop.”
“If that were true, why didn’t we see 20 or 30 children coming out today to confront what he did and try to prevent it?" he added.
Nassar also hit out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's condemnation of Sukkot, saying that "words are not enough."
"Steps must be taken to prevent these acts from the start and protect Palestinian residents," he added.
Golan removes post calling for Sukkot's arrest
"This is a person who should be behind bars and bolts, not in the Knesset of Israel," The Democrats leader Yair Golan wrote in a since-deleted X post, stating that Sukkot is the reason the IDF was diverted to the West Bank on the eve of the October 7 massacre.
"In the upcoming elections, the Kahanists and messianists must be removed from centers of power, and Israel returned to its track. They want eternal war. We will fight for a secure, democratic, and sane state," the post had read.
In response, Sukkot threatened Golan with a lawsuit should he not remove the X post within half an hour.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the move, stating that Sukkot "is not the sovereign in the territories of Judea and Samaria," and that all decisions must be made by the state n conjunction with security forces.
"This is also what public representatives should convey to the public. Regrettably, MK Sukkot knowingly did the exact opposite," he stated.
MK Gilad Kariv (The Democrats) decried Sukkot's actions and the IDF's involvement, stating the military had denied consistent requests to escort him to Kusra, citing a lack of available forces.
"It turns out there are available forces to escort the arsonist to the heart of a Palestinian village," he wrote. "Just yesterday, it was reported that the Central Command's commander warned that it would take just one match to ignite the West Bank. Tzvi Sukkot charges into the role with glee."
Protest breaks out in Rahat during Sukkot's visit
About two weeks ago, clashes broke out in Rahat during an official visit by Sukkot to the city as part of an oversight tour by the Knesset committee, accompanied by police and Knesset security personnel.
During the tour, residents shouted insults at Sukkot, including calling him "a complete zero" and asking, "What do you have to teach our children?" He was called a "provocateur" and told, "In Rahat? Go teach yourself."
The visit was part of a series of oversight tours by the Education Committee across the country, aimed at closely examining the activities of educational institutions, the implementation of committee decisions, and the education system’s handling of challenges including violence, crime, and incitement.
Despite attempts to disrupt and protest the visit, it took place under reinforced security, and Sukkot continued with his planned schedule.