The Israeli army has admitted the authenticity of a photo showing a soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in a Christian village in South Lebanon.
The army has promised to investigate the case, punish those involved and help local residents restore the shrine.
„Following an initial review of a photo released earlier today of an Israel Defense Forces soldier vandalizing a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photo depicts an Israel Defense Forces soldier operating in South Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces takes this incident extremely seriously and emphasizes that the soldier's behavior is completely contrary to the values professed by their military," the Israel Defense Forces press service said.
Israel's Northern Command is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. “According to the results of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken against those involved“, the Israel Defense Forces assured.
The military says it is “destroying terrorist infrastructure“ in southern Lebanon and “has no intention of damaging civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols“. “In addition, the Israel Defense Forces are working to help local residents return the statue to its original location,“ the press service said.
Earlier, a photo circulated on social media showing a soldier in Israeli uniform hitting the head of a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer that had fallen from the crucifixion and turned upside down. The captions accompanying the image indicate that it was taken in southern Lebanon.