A widely circulated image showing an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon has triggered widespread backlash.
On April 20, the Israeli military acknowledged that the photo is authentic.
In its statement, the military said a preliminary assessment confirmed the soldier was “operating in southern Lebanon,” where Israel initiated a ground offensive last month alongside airstrikes as part of its joint conflict with the United States against Iran.
The army also announced that an investigation is underway, adding that “appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings.”
The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head on a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross.
The sculpture is located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel, accoridng to the local municipality.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned what he called a "shameful and disgraceful" act.
"We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt."
Reacting on social media, Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian lawmaker in Israel’s parliament, remarked, We’ll wait to hear the police spokesperson claim that ‘the soldier felt threatened by Jesus’.”
Ahmad Tibi, another Palestinian member of the Knesset, wrote on Facebook that those who destroy mosques and churches in Gaza and harass Christian clergy in Jerusalem without facing consequences would not hesitate to vandalize a statue of Jesus Christ and share it publicly.
“Perhaps these racists have also learned from Donald Trump to insult Jesus Christ and insult Pope Leo?” he asked, pointing to recent controversies involving the U.S. president, including a now-removed AI-generated image depicting him as a Jesus-like figure and his dispute with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who has criticized the war on Iran.
