Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the Christian population in Israel is “thriving,” despite a documented increase in Israeli attacks on Palestinian Christians. His remarks came after a photo showing an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon triggered widespread condemnation.
The photo circulating on social media shows an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon during the recent assault.
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Footage from Debel near the Litani River showed the soldier swinging a sledgehammer at the head of the statue, which was set upside down against a pole.
The statue that was smashed was located on private property in the village and belonged to one of the families in the Maronite community.
The Israeli military said that an initial examination determined that the photograph is authentic, adding that "the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops."
"Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings," the military claimed.
Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported damage to another Christian site in the village of Ain Ebel in the same district. Reports also confirmed Israeli strikes hit a number of religious sites in southern Lebanon, including the shrine of the Prophet Shimon Safa in the village of Shamaa in the Tyre district.
https://x.com/fouadkhreiss/status/2044079812008968333
Two days ago, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the site, which is recognized by UNESCO, had been damaged. Separate reports said at least nine religious sites had been destroyed in villages across the south during the Israeli assault.
The photo has been widely slammed on social media.
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ICC-wanted Netanyahu claimed he was “stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon.”
Netanyahu also claimed that the “Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East.”
“Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all.”
https://x.com/netanyahu/status/2046166181258650016?s=46&t=t_-JFgpXqgMIkVsuBfWELw
There has been a well-documented increase in attacks on Palestinian Christians across Palestine by Israeli forces and settlers.
According to the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), between January 2024 and September 2025, there were at least 201 incidents of violence against Christians, primarily committed by Orthodox Jews targeting international clergy or individuals displaying Christian symbols.
These incidents include multiple forms of harassment, including spitting, verbal abuse, vandalism, assaults and more. The majority (137) of these incidents took place in Jerusalem’s Old City, located in occupied Jerusalem.
During the genocide in Gaza, numerous places of worship, including churches, have been attacked by Israeli forces.
An Open Doors report from early 2025 estimated that roughly 75 percent of Christian-owned homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since the start of Israel’s genocidal war.
On October 19, 2023, Israeli forces attacked Gaza’s oldest Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 18 displaced people, including children who were seeking shelter in the church. The church, built in 1150, was Gaza’s oldest active place of worship and had been serving as a multi-faith sanctuary for hundreds of civilians.
“We identify a connection between the national mood, the prevailing tensions, and the government’s backing which together foster a sense of superiority among Jews – a factor contributing to the rise in attacks against non-Jews,” the RFDC’s director, Yisca Harani, wrote on the organization’s website.
Jad Isaac, the director general of the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem, which tracks the Israeli takeover of land and resources on the West Bank, said: “When Netanyahu says we are the only country which is taking care of the Christians, he’s a liar. He said that in Palestinian Christian communities in the West Bank “the strategy is to make life intolerable”.
Activists on social media also highlighted Mike Huckabee’s strong support for Israel. They criticized the US ambassador to Israel for his continued silence on such attacks, noting that he has not even spoken out in defense of Palestinian Christians facing Israeli violence.
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