Israeli Finance Minister Demands Destruction of 40 Palestinian Memorials in West Bank
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has officially urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to instruct the dismantling of 40 Palestinian memorials located in the Occupied West Bank. This request was communicated in a letter sent in late August, shortly after a far-right Knesset member, Zvi Sukkot, from Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party, vandalized a memorial in Madama Village with a sledgehammer. Sukkot's actions, which he shared on social media, targeted a memorial honoring Palestinians killed by Israel. While Netanyahu condemned Sukkot's actions, Smotrich supported him, describing the memorials as 'terrorist monuments' that incite violence. He claimed these memorials have been near Israeli cities for years and provided a list of 40, demanding their removal by the IDF within 24 hours. Netanyahu has yet to respond publicly.
Key facts
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded the dismantling of 40 Palestinian memorials in the Occupied West Bank.
- The demand was made in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late August.
- The request came five days after Knesset member Zvi Sukkot destroyed a memorial in Madama Village.
- Sukkot broadcast his destruction of the memorial, which listed Palestinians killed by Israel.
- Netanyahu denounced Sukkot's actions, while Smotrich defended him on social media.
- Smotrich described the memorials as 'terrorist incitement infrastructures' and demanded their removal within 24 hours.
- The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were instructed to carry out the dismantling.
- Netanyahu has not publicly responded to Smotrich's demand.
Entities
Institutions
- Religious Zionist Party
- Knesset
- Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
- Channel 14
Locations
- Israel
- Occupied West Bank
- Madama Village
- Judea and Samaria