Israeli Military Detains 2 Soldiers Following Toppling of Jesus Statue

The Israeli military said a soldier who toppled the statue and another who photographed the act would receive 30 days of military detention.

Israeli soldiers take a position along the Israel-Lebanon border on March 7, 2026. Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images

Two Israeli soldiers will receive a month of military detention for the recent toppling of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military announced on April 21.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began investigating after a photograph began to circulate of an Israeli soldier appearing to swing a sledgehammer down on a statue of the central figure of the Christian faith.