Outrage erupted around the world as viral images showed an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ (PBUH) in Lebanon. Social media users condemned what they described as Western silence on attacks on religious symbols and sites by Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Widespread outrage erupted after a video surfaced showing a soldier using a jackhammer to smash the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Deir Siryan.
On Monday, the Israeli army confirmed that an image circulating on social media is authentic. The incident comes amid ongoing IDF operations in Lebanon, taking place during a fragile ceasefire and amid heightened tensions with Christian communities.
This image was posted by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon. Israeli soldiers have been posting imagines of their war crimes and cultural desecration for two and a half years straight without interruption. https://t.co/g2nW5vcNv0
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) April 19, 2026
The desecration occurred despite the Israeli army’s insistence that it ‘has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or symbols.’
Former U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the development, questioning the status of what she described as “our greatest ally,” which receives billions in taxpayer dollars and weapons.
The IDF is currently examining the reliability of the photograph.
If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF’s values and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers.The incident will be investigated thoroughly and in depth, and if… pic.twitter.com/xMTtEMp4dS
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) April 19, 2026
Journalist Ryan Grim said, “Israeli soldiers have been posting images of their war crimes and cultural desecration for two and a half years straight without interruption.”
Meanwhile, commentator and former Congressman Matt Gaetz described the incident as “horrific.”
