IDF soldier who desecrated statue of Mary in Lebanon sentenced to 21 days in prison

An Israeli soldier was sentenced to 21 days of military prison after he desecrated a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, during operations in southern Lebanon, the IDF said at the conclusion of its investigation of the incident on Monday.

The incident was publicized when a picture of a soldier holding a cigarette to the mouth of a statue in the Christian village of Debel went viral online.

This was the same village where another IDF soldier recently destroyed a crucifix, causing widespread outrage. The soldier, as well as his comrade who photographed the incident, was removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

On Monday, the IDF said the soldier who carried out the act was sentenced to 21 days in military prison, while the soldier who filmed the incident received a 14-day military prison sentence.

An IDF soldier who was seen in a photo placing a cigarette into the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, has been sentenced to jail.

The IDF says the incident in the village of Debel was investigated by the commander of the 162nd… pic.twitter.com/4jBGWPa98F

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 11, 2026

Israel’s special envoy to the Christian world, George Deek, noted that the incident “was treated with the seriousness it deserves.”

“Such behavior stands in direct contradiction to the values of the State of Israel, which is committed to respecting freedom of religion, holy sites, and religious symbols of all faiths and communities. The IDF has also reinforced procedures and guidelines regarding conduct around religious institutions and symbols for forces operating in relevant areas,” he added.

This latest event followed a series of headline-grabbing incidents of tensions between Israel and Christians, which anti-Israel activists used to advance claims that the State of Israel was uniquely and institutionally hostile toward Christians.

Following the incident several weeks ago in southern Lebanon, in which a soldier was photographed desecrating a Christian religious symbol, the incident was investigated by the commanders on the ground and reviewed by the Commander of the 162nd Division, BG Sagiv Dahan. At the… https://t.co/hlly7wb6W5

— LTC Ariella Mazor (@LTC_Ariella) May 11, 2026

Speaking to CBS News in an interview aired on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the attempt “to seize on these aberrations and pretend that this is Israeli policy.”

“These are not only anomalies. These are things that go contrary to our ethos, to our respect for Christianity,” Netanyahu stressed, noting that his father, noted historian Benzion Netanyahu, had written two books about Christianity.

“After all, this country is the birthplace of Christianity, which obviously emerged from Judeo-Christian roots. You know that. I know that intimately because I know the history.”

“When [incidents] happen – that guy, that soldier who not [only] violated but tore down a crucifix, he's in jail. That guy who attacked a nun, he's on trial.”

The prime minister also noted that he recently met with around 50 Christian IDF soldiers. “They're heroes. And they fight along their Jewish comrades. Why do they do it? Because they know what I've just said is so true,” he added.

“If you look at the Middle East, the only place where the Christian community has not really survived but thrived, grew, it's in Israel. And [in] every other Arab country surrounding us, they've been squished, squashed, sometimes massacred… Israel is the one country in the Middle East that protects Christians, that values Christians, that embraces Christianity. We have common roots. We appreciate them,” Netanyahu concluded.