Israel's Smotrich Calls to Destroy 40 Palestinian Memorials in West Bank
The demand comes after a member of Smotrich's party shattered a monument in a Palestinian village with a sledgehammer.
Days following a far-right Israeli politician's destruction of a Palestinian monument, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the dismantling of 40 additional Palestinian memorials in the Occupied West Bank, according to Israel's Channel 14. The demand, outlined in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late August, followed Sukkot's action on the 18th of Av.
Sukkot, a member of Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party in the Knesset, had previously demolished a memorial in Madama Village, inscribed with the names of Palestinians killed by Israel.
Netanyahu had previously condemned Sukkot for taking the law into his own hands. However, Smotrich defended his party colleague, urging the destruction of dozens more "terrorist monuments" in Judea and Samaria. In his letter to Netanyahu, Smotrich questioned the lack of systematic efforts to eliminate these structures situated near Israeli cities.
The letter included a table with 40 Palestinian memorials, demanding that the IDF dismantle them within 24 hours. As of now, Netanyahu has not publicly responded to Smotrich's request.
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