Israeli soldiers jailed for desecrating Virgin Mary statue in southern Lebanon

Two Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers involved with desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon will spend weeks in military prison for the act, which comes after a separate IDF desecration of a crucifix in the same region.

After the photo of an IDF soldier putting a cigarette in the Mary statue's mouth went viral on social media and drew widespread condemnation, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Ariella Mazor said in a statement on X that following an investigation, "the soldier documented carrying out the act was sentenced to 21 days of military prison, and the soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days of military prison."

Mazor added that the Israeli military "views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities. Procedures regarding conduct around religious institutions and religious symbols are routinely reinforced to troops prior to entering the relevant areas."

The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasizes that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.

Following an initial review, the image in question was taken several weeks ago. The incident will be investigated, and… https://t.co/fi2gQXzdYj

— LTC Ariella Mazor (@LTC_Ariella) May 6, 2026

George Deek, who serves as Israel's special envoy to the Christian world, said the Mary incident "was treated with the seriousness it deserves."

"Such behavior stands in direct contradiction to the values of the State of Israel, which is committed to respecting freedom of religion, holy sites, and religious symbols of all faiths and communities," Deek said. "The IDF has also reinforced procedures and guidelines regarding conduct around religious institutions and symbols for forces operating in relevant areas."

The incident comes weeks after two other IDF soldiers were removed from their units and sentenced to military prison when one of them smashed a crucifix with a sledgehammer while another photographed the act in the southern Lebanese village of Debel.

Following an inquiry into the incident, the IDF determined that "the soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values," according to a statement.

"The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians," the IDF added.

Israeli forces have taken control of southern Lebanon after launching a ground invasion there during their conflict with Hezbollah in the region, which started on March 2 when Iranian-backed proxies fired missiles into Israel after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Despite a week-long truce, Israeli forces have remained in Lebanon, where approximately a third of its 5.5 million people are Christians.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of Christian soldiers serving in the IDF, praising their service to the Jewish state and assuring that anti-Christian acts by some IDF soldiers are contrary to its values.

"I'm here in the Prime Minister's Office with an extraordinary group of young men and women," Netanyahu said in a video released during the meeting. "These are Christian soldiers, men and women, in the Israeli Defense Forces. They fill all the important positions in our incredible military, and they do incredible work."

Netanyahu acknowledged the uproar caused by the actions of some IDF soldiers, but noted the contributions of Christians to the Israeli military.

"This is completely contrary to what is presented outside. It's not only that Israel fights for the rights of Christians around the Middle East, but that Israel has Christian soldiers who fight for the defense of Israel and for our Christian brethren throughout the area, throughout the region and beyond," Netanyahu said.