Reeve Breskin

Lebanon | An Israeli soldier smashing the head of a Jesus Christ statue during operations in southern Lebanon.

As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths. All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region. Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender. While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.

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My thoughts on the IDF soldier smashing the statue of Jesus in Lebanon Firstly, one soldier's action does not represent the entire army. Remember Abu Ghraib prison in 2004? Similar examples exist for each and every army However, this news came hours after Haaretz published a shocking report on atrocities commited by the IDF in Gaza, including soldiers pissing on blindfolded detainees, tying cables around their genitals, and killing unarmed civilians And last month, Netanyahu celebrated when charges were dropped against IDF soldiers captured on camera beating a Palestinian detainee (dragging him, stomping on him, breaking his ribs, puncturing a lung) and stabbing him in the buttocks with a sharp object Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the country, called these evil criminals that tortured a man in unspeakable ways, “heroic fighters” When reports of the Abu Ghraib torture came out, President Bush called the abuses “disgraceful” and said he was “deeply disgusted.” Notice the difference between both leaders? Among 1,260 complaints betweem 2017–2021 about Israeli soldiers harming Palestinians, only 11 led to indictments In Gaza, despite hundreds of abuse complaints and mass atrocities committed, there were only 3 indictments and 1 conviction. Israel as a country operates in a perpetual mindset of survival, and America's unconditional support has created a sense of impunity for their leaders. We are seeing this impunity among their armed forces Change starts at the top, but unfortunately in Israel today, the top is the problem.

The IDF is currently examining the reliability of the photograph. If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF's values ​​and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers. The incident will be investigated thoroughly and in depth, and if necessary, steps will be taken in accordance with the findings.