Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced MK Zvi Sukkot's (Religious Zionist Party) unauthorized destruction of a Palestinian monument in the West Bank on Tuesday.
"The IDF is the sovereign authority in Judea and Samaria and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the political echelon," he stated.
"Taking the law into one's own hands - particularly by public figures - is unacceptable and hinders the IDF from focusing on its missions against terrorism and incitement."
'Violent provocateur': Opposition leaders decry MK Sukkot's destruction of West Bank monument
Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot called Sukkot a "violent provocateur" who "claims to represent 'religious Zionism' is doing an injustice to an entire sector" in a statement condemning Sukkot for destroying a monument in Kafr Madama near Nablus on Tuesday.
Sukkot's behavior is a "disgrace" to public leaders, Eisenkot stated. "He lied and deceived the IDF and its commanders, harmed security and tarnished the entire State of Israel."
"[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, who dismantled the system that enabled security and governance in Judea and Samaria through a coalition agreement, allows anarchists Zvi Sukkot and his ilk to do whatever they want, endangering security in the settlement and harming Israel's standing in the world," he wrote. "They must not be allowed to hold the reins of power for another day."
Bennett: Coalition endangers soldiers' lives for election videos
B'Yachad leader Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu's government of "undermining Israel's security and Israel's standing in the world just to rack up views on TikTok," stating that the way to fight terror is with actions, not "pathetic provocations."
"Smotrich and his agents weren't content with being the architects of the evasion law and abandoning IDF fighters alone under the stretcher; now they're also undermining their missions and endangering their lives for election videos. Netanyahu knows they're dragging Israel to an unprecedented low, but he can't do a thing about it because he has no government without Ben Gvir and the anti-Zionist Haredi parties."
Sukkot demands Golan remove post calling for his arrest
"This is a person who should be behind bars and bolts, not in the Knesset of Israel," The Democrats Party leader Yair Golan wrote, 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," he stated.
In response, Sukkot threatened Golan with a lawsuit should he not remove the X post within half an hour.
MK Gilad Kariv (The Democrats) also 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. Zvi Sukkot charges into the role with glee."
Gantz: This is not right-wing, this is anarchism
Blue and White leader MK Benny Gantz stated that the citizens of Israel "deserve Knesset members who uphold the law. "
"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."
Village council head: Sukkot's actions could lead to more West Bank violence
Kafr Madama village council head Rami Nassar said that Sukkot's actions could lead to more violence against Palestinians in the West Bank village, a source told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
“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 criticized 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.