The Israel Defense Forces has sentenced two soldiers to military imprisonment after one of them was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.
An image that circulated widely online last week showed an Israeli soldier posing with his arm around the statue of the mother of Jesus Christ while holding a cigarette up to her mouth.
According to the Israeli military, the incident occurred several weeks ago in southern Lebanon and was subsequently investigated by military commanders.
“At the conclusion of the investigation, the soldier documented carrying out the act was sentenced to 21 days of military prison, and the soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days of military prison,” the military said in a statement on Monday.
In a separate post on X, military spokeswoman Ariella Mazor described the incident as a serious violation of military values.
“The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasises that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel,” she stated.
The development comes weeks after another controversy involving Israeli soldiers and Christian religious symbols in southern Lebanon.
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In late April, the military announced disciplinary action against two soldiers accused of destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in the Lebanese village of Debl.
A photograph shared online at the time showed an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a crucifix statue.
The military said the soldiers involved in that incident received 30 days of military detention and were removed from combat duties.
Mazor reiterated that the Israeli military respects religious freedom and holy sites.
“The IDF respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” she said.
She added that the military had “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”