“This act constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith and adds to other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols by IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon,” said the statement by the Assembly.
The statement demanded that the IDF perform “immediate and decisive disciplinary action, a credible process of accountability, and clear assurances that such conduct will neither be tolerated nor repeated.”
Additionally, it pushed for the end of the conflict, citing one of the recent proclamations by Pope Leo XIV, and asked to “embrace a path where peace is witnessed in restraint, dialogue, responsibility, and reverence for the sacred and for every human life.”
“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 military said following its Monday confirmation that the footage was legitimate.
“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,” the military added.
The IDF will also assist the community in restoring the statue to its place, the military said.
Netanyahu, in a Monday post on X/Twitter, stated that he was “stunned and saddened” to learn of the incident.
“I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” he declared. “Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender.”
James Genn and Yoav Etiel contributed to this report.
Source:
www.jpost.com
