Photos of an IDF soldier smoking while putting a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary surfaced on Wednesday, in the latest in a series of actions perceived as showing disregard for Lebanon’s Christian community.
The photo, KAN News reported, had been uploaded by IDF soldiers to social media and taken in the village of Debel sometime over the last day.
The military told KAN that the incident was under investigation.
IDF soldier smashes Jesus statue
In April, a soldier operating in Debel was photographed smashing a statue of Jesus with a hammer, raising widespread condemnation from Christian groups. The soldier, as well as the soldier who photographed him, were removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in prison.
The IDF attempted to replace the Jesus statue with a more ornate one, but the residents of the village instead replaced it with one identical to the smashed statue.
The next week, another controversy erupted around the village of Debel when a video was shared in which Israeli soldiers are seen destroying civilian solar panels.
