Israel’s leaders and military have condemned an Israeli soldier pictured damaging a statue of Jesus Christ.
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A photo emerged over the weekend showing a soldier in southern Lebanon taking what appeared to be an axe or sledgehammer to the face of the statue, sparking outrage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he was “stunned and saddened” by the photo.
“I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” Netanyahu said in a post on X. “We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world,” he added.
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Fragile ceasefire holds on the Israel-Lebanon border
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His comments came after the Israeli military confirmed late Sunday that the photo, showing a statue of Jesus turned upside down and off its cross, was authentic.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” the IDF said in a statement, re-sharing a post by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi that had circulated widely on social media.
The IDF said the incident is being further investigated, and appropriate measures will be taken against those involved. The Israeli military was also working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place, the statement said.
“The IDF is operating to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols,” the statement added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the photo “grave and disgraceful,” saying in a statement on X that he commended the IDF for its condemnation.
“I’m confident that the necessary strict measures will be taken against whoever carried out this ugly act,” Saar said.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a post on X that “swift, severe, & public consequences are needed” for what he called an “outrageous act.”
The incident comes amid a ten-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Israel invaded southern Lebanon and has attacked the country from the air after strikes by the country’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The Israeli operation has displaced more than a million people, and killed nearly 2,300, according to Lebanese officials.
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