The two soldiers who vandalized a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon have been given a one-month prison sentence, the Israeli army said.
“The soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the one who photographed the act will no longer participate in combat operations and will be detained for 30 days,” the statement said.
The photo posted on social media sites that caused a stir shows a soldier hitting a statue of the crucifixion statue, fallen from the cross, on the head in the Maronite village of Debel, near the border with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday condemned the act and said “the military authorities will impose harsh disciplinary measures.”
In its statement, the military said the investigation concluded that “the conduct of the soldiers is completely contrary to Chahal’s orders and values” and that “operations in Lebanon are exclusively targeting the terrorist organization Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, not Lebanese civilians.”
The military also announced that it had replaced the statue in consultation with the local community and released a photo showing Christ on the cross again.
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