The confirmed desecration of a statue of Jesus Christ by a soldier of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “speaks of an attitude that betrays a huge contempt for Christians and our holy images,” a spokesman for Aid to the Church in Need has said.
The IDF confirmed the authenticity of an image circulating on social media that purported to show one of its soldiers shattering the head of a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer during the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.
“Following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon,” the IDF said in a statement released overnight.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.
“The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being addressed through the chain of command. Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” it said.
Commenting on the incident, spokesman for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Ireland, Michael Kelly said, “When one considers the appalling loss of life involved in Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, it seems almost banal to bemoan the destruction of a statue”.
“Yet the apparent glee with which the soldier attacks an image sacred to Christian people, speaks of an attitude that betrays a huge contempt for Christians and our holy images,” he said.
The occurrence of this in a land “made sacred because Jesus himself walked there”, only “adds insult to injury,” Mr Kelly said.
“For some time now, Christian leaders have warned about an increasingly hostile environment for Christians in the Holy Land – particularly in Jerusalem – with attacks and harassment from extremists on the rise.
“Christians are not guests in the Holy Land, or passers by – they are descendants of the first people to hear the message of Jesus,” he said, adding, “If the Israeli government is serious about fundamental issues like religious liberty, then they must protect the rights of Christians”.
The statue-smashing incident, when considered alongside attacks on Christians in Jerusalem and other parts of what is known to Christians as the ‘Holy Land’, is “indicative of a wider problem,” Mr Kelly said.
“I hope the international community – including the United States and the European Union – will put pressure on Israel to ensure that respect for religious liberty and what is held sacred is non-negotiable,” he concluded.