1 jam yang lalu
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Thursday, May 7, 2026, that they would investigate a soldier who was caught desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. The incident was reported to have taken place in the village of Debel, southern Lebanon, a few weeks ago.
In a viral photo circulating on social media since Wednesday, a man in full Israeli military gear can be seen hugging and putting a cigarette into the mouth of the statue of the Virgin Mary. This action sparked public outrage and added to the list of controversies surrounding the Israeli forces amid their invasion of Lebanon.
When asked for confirmation, the IDF stated that they "take the event very seriously, and emphasize that their personnel's actions are deviant behavior and will result in sanctions against the soldier," as quoted from Al Arabiya.
The village of Debel is one of the majority Maronite Christian settlements in southern Lebanon. It is located in the Bint Jbeil District, Nabatiye Province, in a hilly area bordering Israel.
This is not the first time the Israeli military has faced criticism in recent weeks for its soldiers' behavior towards Christian statues in southern Lebanon.
In late April, the Israeli military stated that two soldiers would face 30 days of military detention and be discharged from combat duty. This was triggered by the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in the village of Debel, southern Lebanon.
In that incident, a photo circulated online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a fallen crucifix bearing the image of Jesus.
In response to the case, the IDF stated that they respect the freedom of religion, sacred places, and religious symbols of all religions and communities. They claimed that they "have no intention to damage civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols."
Photos or videos repeatedly spread on social media showing Israeli soldiers disrespecting and damaging religious sites other than Jewish. They were even aware of recording their activities while desecrating and abusing other religious sites.
Triggering Condemnation from Trump's Allies
Shortly after the circulation of the desecration photo of an Israeli soldier on social media, the photo immediately sparked outrage from various parties, including a former ally of President Donald Trump, Republican Party member of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The former Republican Party member of Congress made sarcastic remarks on social media X.
"'Our greatest ally' that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year," Taylor wrote on X, citing from Middle East Eye.
Not only Taylor, another former Trump ally from the same party, Matt Gaetz, referred to the circulated photo as "horrific."
Read: UNIFIL Reports Surge in Israel-Hezbollah Fire Despite Ceasefire
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