Israeli Military Launches Probe After Soldier Pictured Mocking Virgin Mary Statue

The Israeli army says it has opened an investigation after a photo emerged showing one of its soldiers appearing to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.

The image, shared widely online, showed the soldier placing a cigarette in the statue’s mouth while posing with his arm around the revered Christian figure.

Reacting to the incident on Thursday, the Israeli military condemned the soldier’s conduct, saying it was inconsistent with its values.

“The military views the incident with utmost severity and emphasises that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel,” the army stated.

It added that disciplinary steps would follow the investigation.

“The incident will be investigated, and command measures will be taken against the soldier in accordance with the findings.”

According to the military, an initial review indicated the image was taken several weeks earlier.

The latest controversy follows another incident in April involving Israeli soldiers and Christian religious imagery in southern Lebanon.

At the time, the military punished two soldiers with 30 days of military detention and removed them from combat operations after images surfaced showing a statue of Jesus Christ being destroyed in the village of Debl.

One of the photos showed a soldier striking the head of a crucified Jesus statue with a sledgehammer.

Despite the repeated incidents, the Israeli army insisted it respected all religions and holy sites.

It said it “respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” while stressing it had “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”

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