On Wednesday, photos of an IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldier holding a cigarette to the lips of the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Lebanese village of Debel surfaced.
The Israeli military says they are investigating the incident, and are claiming that the photo was taken “weeks ago” but only recently posted.
Just last month, an image of an IDF soldier taking a sledgehammer to the face of the crucified Jesus in Lebanon also went viral, prompting strong backlash.
Critics of the IDF’s apparent treatment of Christians in the region complain that these are not isolated events, but a pattern. Other images and videos of Israeli soldiers bulldozing Christian statues with tanks or mocking Christian worship services have also garnered attention.
Independent media voices such as Tucker Carlson have given airtime to Christians living in Israel or its bordering regions who have testified that they face regular discrimination.
As Catholics for Catholics previously reported, one of these individuals was Alice Kisiya, an Arab Christian and lifelong resident of the West Bank right outside of Bethlehem. Her family has been fighting for their rights against Jewish settlers for decades; their home has been bulldozed multiple times, and their family restaurant was destroyed and never reopened. Trees were uprooted from their property. Images of the Virgin Mary and a cross outside their home were vandalized, and settlers were caught on camera stealing the family dog. The police, according to Kisiya, did nothing.
An Anglican bishop also told Tucker that he is routinely spat upon in the streets of Jerusalem and that the security footage outside of churches catch people urinating upon the entrance unabashedly.
For many, testimonies call into question the supposed friendship between Israel and the United States.
Save and Share This Catholic Patriotic Minute!
