Condemnation and Calls to Punish Israeli Soldier Who Destroyed "Christ" Statue in Lebanon

SadaNews - International reactions condemning the incident of an Israeli soldier smashing the head of the "Christ" statue with a hammer continue, after it was toppled from its position in a village in southern Lebanon the day before yesterday.

Poland condemned the incident through its Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, calling for the punishment of the Israeli soldier and drawing lessons concerning the training methods for soldiers.

He added in a post on the "X" platform that "Israeli army soldiers themselves admit to committing war crimes, as they not only killed Palestinian civilians but even their hostages."

For his part, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the incident as an "attack on Christians who represent a tool for peace in the Middle East," emphasizing that it is "unacceptable" and expressing hope that it will not be repeated.

Tajani further stated that "desecrating the symbols of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam does not reflect strength, but rather is a sign of weakness, and contradicts all principles supporting freedom and dialogue among religions."

Entities Condemning the Incident

Catholic Church leaders in the Holy Land condemned the incident, affirming that it hurts the feelings of Christians and constitutes a serious violation of the sanctity of religious symbols, reflecting a deep flaw in moral and human values.

The Church leaders called for decisive action to ensure accountability for those responsible, stressing that "true peace is not born of violence but rather from sheathing the sword, stopping the war, exercising restraint, and preserving the sanctity of life and the sanctity of holy places."

In turn, Wadi’Abu Nasar, coordinator of the Christian Forum in the Holy Land, stated that he received images of the statue's destruction from several sources, calling for not ignoring the issue, and affirming the impossibility of remaining silent about such violations, demanding that complaints be filed to hold the perpetrator accountable.

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress to stop ignoring what it described as "Israel's ongoing war on Christians," following the incident.

The Israeli army acknowledged the incident, explaining in a statement that after completing a preliminary examination of the circulated image showing a soldier touching a Christian symbol, "it became clear that it is a true documentation of a soldier in the army who operated in the southern Lebanese region."

Islamic and Christian holy places in southern Lebanon were also not spared from assaults by Israeli soldiers, as cameras documented scenes of the destruction and targeting of mosques in southern villages. This brings to mind the extensive destruction witnessed by most mosques in the Gaza Strip, as well as the targeting of churches and killing of displaced persons during the recent war.