In the second recent documented incident of an Israel Defense Forces soldier appearing to show contempt for Lebanon’s Christians, photos of a soldier putting a cigarette to the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary made a social media splash on Wednesday.
The photo was taken in the village of Debel, according toThe Jerusalem Post.
The IDF said the incident took place several weeks ago, but the photo was uploaded to social media on Wednesday.
IDF soldier seen placing cigarette Virgin Mary statue’s mouth in Lebanese villagehttps://t.co/BZmzaWr9LA
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael)May 6, 2026
Debel was the same village in which another IDF soldier was photographed taking a sledgehammer to a statue of Jesus on a cross, as noted by theBBC.
The IDF said it would investigate with “utmost severity” and that the incident “completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.”
Fadi Felfeli, leader of the local congregation of Lebanese Catholics, said, “Honestly, this issue really provoked us, especially after the apology regarding the cross.”
“It also shows that there are individuals within the [Israeli] army that lack ethics and values and are bigoted. This reflects a great deal of fanaticism,” he said.
JUST IN: The Israeli military has sentenced two soldiers to just 30 days in jail after they destroyed a statue of Jesus in a Christian village in southern Lebanon.
Source: VidNews » Feed
