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Far-right Israeli lawmaker damages Palestinian memorial with sledgehammer
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Zvi Sukkot, a far-right Israeli MP from the Religious Zionism party, damaged a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank village of Madama with a sledgehammer while under military escort, sparking widespread criticism.
- The memorial commemorates Palestinians killed in conflicts with Israel, including the 1968 battle of Karameh and the first and second intifadas, and was erected in 2008.
- The Israeli military stated that soldiers were present during the incident, approved Sukkot's tour of the area, but condemned his unauthorized actions and intervened to stop him.
- The incident has heightened tensions amid rising settler violence in the West Bank, drawing condemnation from Israeli political figures including Prime Minister Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot.
- Bezalel Smotrich, leader of Sukkot’s party, criticized the left-wing opposition for focusing on condemning Sukkot rather than addressing terrorism, highlighting deep political divisions over the event.
