The Israeli military is currently conducting a criminal investigation after a soldier was photographed striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon. This incident, reported by The Guardian, has sparked significant international backlash and forced a quick response from the highest levels of the Israeli government.
The image that started the firestorm shows an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. The sculpture is located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel. While local municipal officials could not immediately confirm the extent of the damage, the visual evidence circulating on the internet was enough for the Israeli Defense Forces to confirm its authenticity.
