By Pesach Benson • August 25, 2026
Jerusalem, 25 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday that MK Zvi Sukkot’s visit to the Palestinian village of Madama had been approved, but that he and his aides acted “deceptively and manipulatively” when they began smashing a memorial commemorating Palestinian terrorists while under army protection.
The IDF said Sukkot had requested on Aug. 12 to conduct a “tour of monuments” in the villages of Beita, Burin and Madama. The tour was approved, and troops were diverted from operational duties to provide security. Madama is south of Shechem (Nablus) in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority has administrative jurisdiction while Israel maintains security control.
MK Zvi Sukkot,, chairman of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee, during a committee meeting on July 6, 2026, Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
“Contrary to the coordination, the participants acted deceptively and manipulatively, without authority and in complete violation of the approved outline, and began demolishing one of the memorials in the village of Madama,” the military said.
The memorial commemorates Palestinians killed in terror attacks and Israeli counterterror operations, including Yaman Tayeb Ali Faraj, a commander in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Faraj — who planned several suicide bombings in 2003 including one that killed four Israelis — was killed in a 2004 gun battle in Shechem with Israeli security forces.
Video footage showed Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionist Party, entering Madama with other Israelis and striking the memorial with a hammer. Israeli troops and a military vehicle can be seen securing the area.
According to the IDF, soldiers alerted their commanders after seeing what was happening. They were ordered to stop the activity and remove Sukkot and his aides from the village.
“The IDF views the conduct and lack of coordination by the MK gravely, and as an exploitation of the security provided by the security forces for a complete overstepping of authority,” the military said.
Sukkot said he acted after the IDF failed to remove the memorial despite his request.
“A few days ago I demanded that the army take action to remove the monuments that commemorate Terrorists in the murderous villages of Madama and Burin, but unfortunately they remained in place. That is why I came myself and took action to remove them,” he said.
“We will not allow a situation in which those who harmed Jews and IDF soldiers are immortalized as heroes and presented to the next generation as figures to admire,” Sukkot added.
The IDF said it regularly removes monuments and symbols of incitement, but only with required approvals and in coordination with the Civil Administration.
Opposition MK Gilad Kariv criticized Sukkot, saying he was “happily taking on the role” of someone who could inflame tensions in Judea and Samaria.
