From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 20, 2026
Netanyahu: Like most Israelis, I was ‘stunned and saddened’ by IDF soldier’s smashing of Jesus statue
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he was “stunned and saddened” by an IDF reservist destroying a statue of Jesus in Lebanon yesterday.
“As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths,” he says. “All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region.”
“Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon,” he continues in a post on X. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender.”
The IDF said yesterday the incident would be investigated by the Northern Command and is being handled “through the chain of command.”
Netanyahu says that Christianity thrives in Israel while Christians “are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims.”
“Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing,” he says. “Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.”
As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths. All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region.
Yesterday, like the…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2026
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