The Israeli soldiers who smashed a figure of Jesus Christ and photographed it in southern Lebanon were removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention, officials said.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was taking appropriate action against the two soldiers following international backlash over the photo of the troops smashing a statue of Jesus on a crucifix with a sledgehammer at a small shrine in Debel.
“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
The Israeli soldier who smashed a figure of Jesus on the cross and the one taking the photo were sentenced to 30 days of military detention. Social Media via REUTERS “Accordingly, it was decided 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 IDF added.
Along with the pair, six additional soldiers were reprimanded for standing by and failing to stop or even report the incident, according to the Israeli military.
The six soldiers are set to speak before IDF officials to explain themselves, with their punishment set to be determined by their commanders.
Following reports of the incident, the IDF worked with the local community in Debel to replace the broken statue with a new crucifix that is now standing at the shrine.
The IDF worked with the community in Debel, Lebanon, to erect a new crucifix in place of the one damaged by the soldiers. X/@IDF “The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future,” the Israeli military said.
The Jewish state was on damage control after images of the IDF soldiers damaging the crucifix went viral on Monday, garnering condemnation from officials around the world, including Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel.
Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the soldiers’ actions and vowed swift consequences against the perpetrators.
