Human review coming soon.
Netanyahu Condemns Soldier Who Struck Jesus Statue
An Israeli soldier hit a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer. This happened in a Christian village in southern Lebanon.
A photo of the incident got over 5 million views online. The Israeli military checked the photo and confirmed it was real.
Then they launched a criminal investigation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was stunned and saddened.
He said sorry to believers in Lebanon and around the world. Netanyahu said the military will take harsh action against the soldier.
The military said it views the soldier's actions with great severity. The US ambassador also asked for swift consequences for the soldier. The incident happened days into a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Klear Note — Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire days before this incident. Damaging religious sites can spark anger among Christians worldwide and harm peace efforts.
Key Terms 3
- ceasefire
- An agreement to stop fighting for a period of time
- Hezbollah
- An armed group based in Lebanon that fought against Israel
- Northern Command
- The part of the Israeli military that oversees northern Israel and Lebanon