IDF soldiers who smashed Jesus statue with sledgehammer, filmed it sentenced to 30 days military detention

The Israel Defense Forces said it has disciplined multiple soldiers following an incident where a depiction of Jesus on the cross was smashed with a sledgehammer in a village in southern Lebanon, calling the conduct a “moral failure” that “completely deviated” from military orders.

The incident took place during operations in the Christian village of Debel, where “an IDF soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another soldier photographed the act.” The inquiry found that “six additional soldiers were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it.”

The military said that “the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values.”

Following an inquiry, the IDF announced that “the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention. The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later on, after which further command-level measures will be determined."

The Chief of the General Staff “condemned the incident and stated that it constitutes unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, far exceeding any acceptable standard and contradicting IDF values and the expected conduct of its troops.”

The IDF said it “expresses deep regret over the incident” and stressed that its operations in Lebanon “are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.”

It also said that “from the moment the report of the incident was received, the IDF has been working to assist the local community in replacing the statue.”

The military noted that procedures regarding conduct around “religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to the troops prior to their entry into the relevant areas,” and will be reinforced again following the incident.