Israel condemns soldiers for attacking Jesus statue in Lebanon

According to the EFE agency, the investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) showed that six other men witnessed the action last Sunday (19), without intervening in the act or reporting the incident. These soldiers were summoned to a meeting and may face “additional measures”.

In a statement issued this Tuesday (21), the IDF confirmed that the statue had been removed from its pedestal and was lying upside down on the ground, in front of the Debel church, when an Israeli soldier struck the face of the crucified Jesus.

“The investigation determined that the soldier’s conduct was completely contrary to the orders and values ​​of the IDF,” the statement said, noting that Israeli forces express “deep regret over the incident” and are working with the local community to replace the statue.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, priest Fadi Falfel — who works in the village where the attack took place — reported that the cross belonged to a small shrine in the garden of a local family.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), investigations into the case have been closed.

Netanyahu condemned the action of a soldier who attacked the statue of Jesus

Last Monday (20), the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, repudiated the attitude of the Israeli military in southern Lebanon. “I condemn this act in the strongest terms,” said the prime minister on the social network X.

“We deeply regret the incident and the harm it may have caused to the faithful in Lebanon and around the world,” Netanyahu added, while reiterating “the Jewish values ​​of tolerance and mutual respect.”

Holy Land Catholic leaders demanded immediate disciplinary action

According to the EFE agency, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) also condemned the attack on the statue of Jesus Christ and demanded the application of “immediate and decisive disciplinary action”.

ACOHL pointed out that the act “adds to other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols by soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon” and compromises respect “for the sacred and the dignity of others.”