The Israeli military has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail after one of them destroyed a statue of Jesus in Lebanon by smashing it with an axe.
“The inquiry found that during IDF activity in the area of the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, an IDF soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another soldier photographed the act. Six additional soldiers were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it,” the IDF wrote in an update on Tuesday.
“The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values,” the force continued.
“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.
“From the moment the report of the incident was received, the IDF has been working to assist the local community in replacing the statue.
“Accordingly, it was decided that the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention. The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later on, after which further command-level measures will be determined.
“Procedures regarding conduct with religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to the troops prior to their entry into the relevant areas, and will be reinforced again for all troops in the area following the incident.”
The force added that the Chief of the General Staff condemned the incident, saying it constitutes unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, far exceeding any acceptable standard and contradicting IDF values and the expected conduct of its troops.
Israel’s foreign minister and military previously condemned the desecration of the crucifix, an incident captured in a widely circulated photograph.
The image, which emerged online over the weekend, shows a soldier wielding the blunt side of an axe against a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross.
The photograph was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who has previously shared images alleging misconduct by Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
Reuters verified the location of the incident as Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents have remained amid an Israeli military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia.
This campaign began on 2 March, following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel in support of Iran.
