Pro-Palestinian Activist's Car Torched Near Ramallah; Threats Scrawled on Walls

Unknown assailants set fire to the car of Andrey Khrzhanovsky, a controversial Israeli activist known for his pro-Palestinian stance, in the Arab village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah. Simultaneously, graffiti bearing threats against senior Israeli security officials appeared on walls in the nearby village of Deir Nidham. The incidents are being widely discussed on social media.

One graffiti message read, "Avi Bluth, beware," referring to Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the IDF's Central Command, which oversees Judea and Samaria. Another message targeted Shin Bet head David Zini, stating, "Zini, take me under administrative detention." This appears to be a response to Zini's warning about potentially resuming administrative detention for "Jewish extremists suspected of attacking Palestinians."

Khrzhanovsky, the son of film director Ilya Khrzhanovsky and grandson of animator Andrey Khrzhanovsky, has been active in Israel for three years. He is known online as "Andrey X" for his public actions supporting Palestinians. In December 2024, Israeli police arrested him for defacing a memorial to Captain Shilo Cohen, a fallen officer from the Shaldag special forces unit, with a "Free Palestine" sticker. In January 2026, he was detained after an aggressive protest against "Jewish terror" near the settlement of Eitav, following a complaint by Knesset Member Zvi Sukkot.

Khrzhanovsky himself reported the incident on social media with the brief statement, "I no longer have a car." No injuries were reported. Israeli authorities have not announced any arrests or identified suspects.

The incident occurs amid a sharp escalation of tensions and violence in Judea and Samaria from both Palestinian residents and radical settlement activists. This event is notable because the victim is an Israeli far-left activist, and the graffiti directly threatened top Israeli security leaders. Khrzhanovsky, a recent immigrant, was previously associated with the far-left organization "Compass," which opposes imperialism and advocates for Palestinian rights. He was later expelled from "Compass" for traveling to the West Bank with a journalist from the pro-Russian outlet Grayzone. Khrzhanovsky identifies himself on social media as a "journalist and human rights defender in Palestine" and states he lives in the Palestinian Authority.