Israeli soldier who destroyed a Jesus statue in Lebanon with a sledgehammer, arrested for 30 days and kicked out of the army
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that a soldier who damaged a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon will be withdrawn from military service and serve 30 days of military detention, DPA and Agerpres report.
The Israeli military said an investigation “found that during IDF activity in the area of the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, an Israeli soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another soldier photographed the incident.”
“Six other soldiers were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it. The investigation determined that the way the soldiers acted was in complete violation of IDF orders and values,” the Israeli military said.
The soldier who photographed the incident received the same punishment as the one who damaged the religious symbol, the IDF said, adding that the soldiers who witnessed it were “summoned for clarification discussions”.
“The IDF expresses its deep regret for the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the terrorist organization Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians,” the army added.
The Israeli military launched an investigation after a photo was published on Sunday showing a man in Israeli uniform hitting the head of a crucified Christ statue that had fallen from the cross with a hammer.
The IDF said it would help the local community restore the statue.
About a third of Lebanon's population is Christian.
