Bennett and Eisenkot Condemn Netanyahu Over Security Incident in West Bank Village

Former Prime Minister and leader of the Yamina party, Naftali Bennett, and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot sharply criticized MK Tzvi Sukkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following an incident in the West Bank village of Madama on Tuesday. Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionism party, entered Madama with aides during a military-secured memorial tour and was filmed destroying a monument dedicated to Yaman Faraj, a commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's military wing, who was killed by the IDF.

Bennett accused Sukkot and Bezalel Smotrich of undermining Israel's security and international standing for political gain, stating, "The chaos government harms Israel’s security and status in the world to garner TikTok views, terrorism is fought with actions, not cheap provocations." He also blamed Netanyahu’s coalition for enabling this behavior, saying Netanyahu cannot act due to reliance on far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. Bennett pledged to repair the damage caused.

Eisenkot condemned Sukkot’s conduct as shameful and deceptive, damaging both the IDF and Israel’s reputation. He held Netanyahu responsible for dismantling the security and governance framework in the West Bank, allowing anarchic actions by figures like Sukkot that endanger settlements and Israel’s global standing. Eisenkot called for removing such elements from power immediately.

The IDF spokesperson stated that Sukkot and his group violated the approved tour guidelines by acting without authorization and diverted operational forces unnecessarily to secure the event. Sukkot has threatened to sue for defamation over the criticisms. The incident has intensified political tensions within Israel’s fragile coalition government and opposition over security policy and governance in the West Bank.