Israeli Military Investigates Soldier’s Act Against Virgin Mary Statue in Lebanon
The army said the image is under review as Lebanese media showed a soldier placing a cigarette in the statue’s mouth.
- On Wednesday, KAN News reported a photo showing an IDF soldier smoking while placing a cigarette in the mouth of a Virgin Mary statue in Debel, Lebanon, marking fresh scrutiny of the military's conduct toward the Christian community.
- This incident follows an April 19, 2026, controversy in the same village of Debel, where images emerged of an IDF soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer, sparking widespread condemnation from Christian groups.
- In response to the earlier incident, the IDF removed two soldiers from combat roles and sentenced them to 30 days in military prison, while six others were summoned for disciplinary talks.
- Frid Jubran, spokesman for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, told media the footage was "sad, outrageous and very upsetting," stating the actions showed deep contempt and humiliation toward the Christian faith.
- While the IDF maintains it targets only Hezbollah rather than civilian or religious sites, these incidents have fueled claims that Israel harms religious freedom, and the military said the recent photo is being "looked into.
59 Articles
59 Articles
Photo shows Israeli soldier desecrating a Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon
The Israeli military says it has launched an investigation after a photo showing one of its soldiers desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in South Lebanon went viral, as he placed a cigarette into the statue's mouth whilst smoking. The IDF said it "respects freedom of religion" and that the soldier will be disciplined. The incident took place Debel, in the same village where last month, an Israeli soldier was filmed smashing a Jesus statue wi…
Israeli Military Investigating After Soldier's Picture with Mary Statue Draws Outrage from Catholic Officials
In the second recent documented incident of an Israel Defense Forces soldier appearing to show contempt for Lebanon’s Christians, photos of a soldier putting a cigarette to the mouth of […] The post Israeli Military Investigating After Soldier's Picture with Mary Statue Draws Outrage from Catholic Officials appeared first on The Western Journal.
IDF Promises Investigation After Israeli Soldier Desecrates Virgin Mary Statue.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier faces disciplinary action after a photo showed him placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, marking the second time an Israeli soldier has desecrated a Catholic symbol in a Christian Lebanese village in recent weeks.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier was photographed desecrating a Blessed Virgin Mary statue in the Christian village of Debel, so…
The Israeli army announced that a soldier pictured placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in a Christian village in southern Lebanon will face disciplinary action, the Times of Israel reported. In response to media inquiries, the Israeli army stated that it "takes the incident seriously" and emphasized that the soldier's behavior "deviates from the values expected of soldiers." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses o…
Israeli soldier pictured desecrating Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon
Israeli soldier pictured desecrating Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon The Israeli military has launched an inquiry after a viral video showed one of its soldiers in southern Lebanon desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary. The incident took place in the Christian village of Debel, and was captured in a photo that was shared on Wednesday. The Israeli military said it had identified the soldier and that he would be disciplined. It said it “views …
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