Two Israeli soldiers have been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in military detention after one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. Images circulating on social media showed a soldier using the blunt side of an axe to strike the head of a sculpture of the crucifixion of Christ that had fallen from its cross in a Christian village near the border with Israel, while another soldier filmed the act.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that the soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and value. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was stunned and saddened to learn that a soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon. Meanwhile, the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land issued a statement saying the act constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith.
The military has since replaced the crucifix in southern Lebanon. Six additional soldiers could be punished for failing to stop the incident or report it.