ISRAEL: IDF soldier desecrates Jesus statue in Lebanon
IDF apologised and replaced the damaged statue but is this enough?
The military quickly replaced the damaged statue with a new sculpture of the crucifixion of Christ
By Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers
HRWF (22.04.2026) – On Sunday 19 April, an image of an Israeli soldier operating in Lebanon spread rapidly across social media and got viral. It was showing an Israeli soldier in Lebanon attempting to destroy a statue of Jesus-Christ on the cross.
There was no AI, no manipulation, no getting around an image that points to a deep moral morass in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and in broader Israeli society. It was quickly confirmed as authentic by the highest Israeli authorities.
The act was unanimously condemned in the country and abroad. The IDF and Foreign Ministry have denounced it in unequivocal terms and for sure it is not part of IDF’s policies to disregard or desecrate symbols of other religions during military operations. However, apologies and promises of unclear sanctions are insufficient. The prosecution must be public, not be limited to internal restrictive measures by the IDF but lead to a court sentence that should not be lower than for a civilian convict.
Responsibilities
First of all, the soldier desecrating the statue is not the only guilty party. Another reservist took the picture; after all, soldiers don’t wander around southern Lebanon in pairs or drive around in lone vehicles. There were likely over 10 soldiers — and very likely an officer — who witnessed some part of the act and did not stop it. More people must be indicted.
Secondly, the soldier with the hammer thought it was a good idea to stupidly put the evidence of his crime online and there would be no risk of punishment.
Thirdly, without knowing exactly what motivated his act, it’s reasonable to think it was done with forethought and intention. Somewhere in his education or his social milieu, the soldier likely learned that Christian shrines and icons are not to be respected, or even that they can or should be destroyed.
Not an isolated incident
Such individual cases happen in an army but are to be severely sanctioned as there are strict rules to prevent that sort of illegal behaviour. The exclusion from the IDF should be one of them in addition of other court decisions as the consequences can be devastating for the state of Israel.
In 2024, elite troops operating in Lebanon filmed a mock wedding ceremony inside an Orthodox church, entirely oblivious to the sanctity of the site. They uploaded footage to social media, essentially handing it to news organizations around the world. It would be good on this occasion to recall what was the sanction.
IDF soldiers also staged their burning of Muslim religious literature in Gaza on internet. What was the sanction?
The IDF has obviously still not managed to put an end to the phenomenon of soldiers taking phones onto the battlefield to document themselves defying IDF regulations and international law, and then uploading that content to the internet.
Last minute update
On 21 April, it was announced that two Israeli soldiers involved in the incident had been pulled from combat duty and given 30-day jail sentences after one photographed the other swinging what appeared to be a sledgehammer at the head of a statue of Jesus.
Other troops who stood by but did nothing to intervene have also been summoned and could face disciplinary action.
The military replaced the damaged statue with a new sculpture of the crucifixion of Christ and released a photo of it.
Our remarks remain relevant and valid.
