An Israeli soldier who damaged and photographed a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon has been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention, the Israeli army said.
Six more soldiers who witnessed the incident but did not prevent it or report it will be summoned for what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) calls “clarification discussions to be held at a later date.” The IDF said other command-level measures may also be taken.
On Sunday, a photo appeared on social media of an Israeli soldier brandishing what appeared to be a hammer or ax at a statue of a crucified Jesus Christ in the Christian-majority town of Deber. Photos showed soldiers hitting the doll on the head after it was removed from the cross.
Maroun Nassif, deputy head of the municipality, told CNN after the incident that it was an “attack on our sacred faith.”
The Israel Defense Forces launched an investigation into the photos, saying the soldiers’ actions were “totally inconsistent with the values expected of the military.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened” by the attacks on religious figures. “I condemn this action in the strongest terms,” he said in a statement Monday.
On Tuesday, the IDF said it worked “in full coordination” with the Debel community to replace the figure of Jesus Christ. The new figures appeared to be made of new cruciform metal. The IDF said, “We express our deep regret for this incident and will work to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”
Wadi El Khazen, Lebanon’s former tourism minister and Maronite Christian leader, called for “international action to ensure the accountability of all those who committed these crimes.” “The historical truth of the Lebanon War is inexorable and imposes on us a great responsibility to protect civilians, reject all forms of discrimination and violence, and work towards a durable and just peace,” Prime Minister El Kazen said on Monday, according to Lebanon’s state-run NNA news agency.
Debel is one of 55 Lebanese towns and villages within the swath of southern Lebanon currently occupied by Israeli forces. It is about four miles west of Bint Jubeir, a town that the Israeli Defense Forces have besieged in an effort to eradicate what they say is Hezbollah’s stronghold.
