German Catholic aid group condemns Israeli soldier for smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon

A German Catholic aid organization on Tuesday condemned the destruction of a statue of Jesus by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon and encouraged the German government to pressure Israel to prevent similar incidents.

“We condemn, in the strongest terms, the desecration of a Christian cross in southern Lebanon by an Israeli soldier,” said Dirk Bingener, a Roman Catholic priest and president of Missio Aachen. “We hope that the Israeli government will fully pursue the promised investigation, take the necessary measures and issue an apology.”

The outcry followed the circulation of a photo showing an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed the authenticity of the image on Monday and said it has opened an investigation.

Bingener, who was visiting Egypt on Monday and met representatives of Christian minorities in the region, said they were concerned about the 5,000 Christian families in southern Lebanon.

“These families are currently cut off from the rest of Lebanon, and we do not know exactly how they are doing,” he said. Bingener added that he received deeply concerning reports that houses are being deliberately demolished and land destroyed to make the area uninhabitable and prevent residents from returning.