IDF confirms authenticity of a photo of a soldier destroying a statute of Jesus Christ

[childlessbutconcerned]

https://x.com/idf/status/2045973415643767091?s=46

Disgraceful.

So where is the investigation and punishment for the murder of Hind Rajab and her entire family?

And back in Lebannon, Israel killed just today 4 Lebanese civilians in a truck and 1 on a motorcycle who were well north of their no go occupied southern Lebanon security zone, and well north of the Litani river which is not Hezbollah controlled.

I will wait for the investigation and punishment of the IDF soldiers and officers responsible.

@dairydebris you are scrapping the bottom of the barrel with the arguments now.

Are you saying that Israel should be treated like Russia ? Because I will totally agree with you. Sanctions and real action would be great.

I wish that the IDF were only destroying statues. Least of the worries. Clearly some so called Christian’s in the US care more about plaster than people.

There has been a public outcry about that which is what I was questioning a previous poster about when they said there's only a public outcry and punishment for destroying statues it seems.

This is so disgusting. They’d threatened her, bombed her convoy killing two of her colleagues, then bombed the house she ran to to seek shelter then blocked emergency services from reaching her.
240 journalists murdered in Palestine, now into double figures in Lebanon

Statement released by IDF says ‘We do not target journalists. It is under review’ . FFS

It is another war crime, and as @Martymcfly24 has said, straight out of the Gaza handbook.

There will be no investigation, no punishment. Probably there will be an attempt to smear.

Solar panels in the same village also smashed by the IDF, According to Lebanese media, Israeli soldiers also caused damage to water infrastructure in Debel, along with homes, roads, and olive trees. That's a lot of 'bad apples' along with the 'bad apple' who smashed the statue, the 'bad apple' who filmed him smashing the statue and the 6 'bad apples' who watched him smashing the statue and didn't try and stop him or report what he had done.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-894118

This took place in the same village where the IDF soldier knocked off the head of the statue of Christ while his fellow soldier filmed it.
But let's be thankful for small mercies eh, the soldiers are being 'investigated'.🙄

Israeli soldiers smash solar panels with diggers in Christian village
Destruction in village of Debel follows criticism that ethical standards within IDF have plummeted

Israeli troops are under investigation for destroying solar panels with military diggers in the same Christian village where they deliberately smashed a statue of Jesus.
Video footage has emerged showing the diggers smashing the solar panels and destroying an industrial vehicle outside the village of Debel, in southern Lebanon.

IDF soldiers also damaged water infrastructure, homes, roads and olive trees, Lebanese media reported.

The alleged vandalism took place a week after another soldier was pictured hitting the face of a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer, prompting a rare public rebuke of the IDF by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Debel, located between the border with Israel and the Litani River, is one of a handful of Christian villages that were told they did no need to evacuate after the IDF established a security zone in southern Lebanon.
These communities are hostile to Hezbollah and historically have prevented terrorists from the Iran-backed group from entering Israel.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/c46ec3dec8f2e6f1

Apologies for X post @FloralDeerPattern . I think there must be a MN glitch as your post wasn't showing when I posted.
I can't understand why the wanton destruction in Lebanon is still being dismissed by so many because, you know, 'Israel security' innit.

‘The alleged vandalism’
Destroying infrastructure preventing survival….

It’s a shame posters on here are not as concerned about hate crimes against Christians when they happen in other countries.
Israel is nowhere near the most dangerous place for Christians. It’s not even in the top 50.
https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/

It’s almost as though Christian persecution doesn’t matter unless a Jewish person is involved.

Good lord. This is a post specifically about the IDF destroying Christian statues. The whataboutery is tiresome.

I’m Christian and I support charities who work to help persecuted Christians. Israel has never been on the list of countries where Christians are in danger.
I’m a bit suspicious about why this horrible act of hate is being highlighted when far more terrible acts of violence against Christians in other countries are ignored .

You might think so …
But I think people are using these reports to stoke anti Jewish hate.
There are far worse instances of anti Christian hatred but I suspect you only care if the culprit is Jewish.

Does this include the crimes Israel commit against Christians in the land that they illegally occupy, like here https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/05/israeli-settlers-driving-christians-out-west-bank

Smashing the statue didn't happen in Israel either, Israeli soldiers went to Lebanon to do that.

The Israeli bloke who shoved that poor nun to ground and then started kicking the shit out of her, that happened in illegally occupied territories.

A Christian convent was recently demolished in Southern Lebanon by the IDF. Christian sanctuaries were also destroyed during the war in 2024, such as the Melkite churches in the villages of Yaroun and Derdghaya.

Then there was multiple attacks on Churches in Gaza. Again not in Israel but carried out by Israel.

It reminds me a bit of people who say 'there is no apartheid in Israel' knowing full well that it is the illegally occupied Palestinian territories where Israel practice their racial segregation and apartheid as found by the ICJ.

When Christians in the region are speaking out and saying that they feel persecuted by Israel who are you to tell them that they are wrong? Should we just ignore them because Ophelia says it's worse elsewhere?

No - we shouldn’t just ignore persecution of Christians- wherever it happens it’s abhorrent.
Im just pointing out that Israel’s record is a lot better than almost ever other country in the Middle East .
Evidence
https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/

.

If you are interested in persecution of Christians - you should at least look at the link I posted .
You might find it interesting that Israel is not in the top 50 countries that practice religious persecution.

Again does that include crimes committed in countries illegally occupied and invaded? All of the crimes that Israel have committed against Christians that have been in the news of late have not been committed in Israel, they have committed these crimes in the places they choose to occupy and invade.

I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the wording of your post.
I detect a desperate desire to create a separate category of Christian persecution- one that only Jews are guilty of .

Israels 'record' of crimes against Christians seems to mainly happen outside of the country of Israel. You posting a ranking of '50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution' Palestine where Israel are ethnically cleansing non Jews including Christians is not a country unfortunately, it is an illegally occupied territory.

On a thread about Israeli soldiers descrating Christian statues yes I am talking abouts Israel crimes against Christians, that the topic of the thread. I don't go on threads about swimming and talk about running either. That's generally how mumsnet works.

I’m sticking with the subject matter- Christian persecution. It’s a subject I might know more about than you . I’m afraid I suspect you are more exercised by the fact that the culprit is Jewish than by the fact that Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide and nearly all the persecution happens in Muslim areas.

Edited to add - I don’t blame “all Muslims “ for this - I blame the extremists. The same type of extremists who oppress Muslim women and girls and gays . They are not the Muslims I know.

I don’t like it when people who don’t normally care about abuse of Christianity are happy to accuse Jews of it .

I'm not 'exercised' at all, I just don't really understand why you wanted to come on this thread to minimise Israels actions towards Christians by saying 'oh it's not so bad, look these guys are worse'? Do you think that's of comfort to the Christians who are being spat on, pushed over and kicked or the Christians being driven out of their villages, or the residents of convents being bulldozed? I'm sure it feels pretty bad to them. Maybe you should go over there have a chat to them, show them your little list and ask them if they would reconsider their cries for help?

For those who are genuinely interested in the plight of Palestinian Christians - they have my utmost respect and sympathy. It has not been easy to be squeezed between the terror of Hamas and the extremist/ settlers .
The last Christian Palestinian bookseller in Gaza was tortured and murdered by Hamas.
They are a brave and beleaguered community.