Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a sharp public condemnation of an Israeli soldier who was photographed apparently destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, as the Israeli Defence Forces launched a criminal investigation into the incident.
The image, which is believed to show the vandalism taking place in the Christian town of Debel, was shared on social media on Sunday and rapidly spread across multiple platforms, accumulating more than 5.3 million views on X alone. The photograph was initially posted by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi, who captioned it as depicting an IDF soldier smashing the head of a Jesus Christ statue during operations in the area. A local community Facebook page for Debel subsequently claimed the statue belonged to their town.
The IDF’s international spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, was among the first to respond officially, saying the authenticity of the photograph was being examined. Shortly afterwards, the military confirmed the image was genuine, stating it depicted an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon. “The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasises that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” a statement read, adding that the Northern Command had opened an investigation and that appropriate measures would be taken against those responsible.
Netanyahu went further, addressing the incident directly in a post on X. “Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon,” he wrote. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms.” He said military authorities were conducting a criminal probe and had committed to taking “appropriately harsh disciplinary action” against the soldier involved.
The Israeli prime minister used the statement to set the incident within what he described as a broader context of religious tolerance within Israel, contrasting it with the treatment of Christian communities elsewhere in the region. “All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals,” he wrote, adding that Israel remained “the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all.”
The IDF said it would work with the Christian community of Debel to restore the statue to its original condition.
