Insult to Virgin Mary statue in southern Lebanon sparks widespread anger

An Israeli occupation army soldier insulted a statue of the Virgin Mary in the town of Debel in southern Lebanon by placing a cigarette in the statue's mouth and posting the image on social media platforms. This act sparked a massive wave of anger and indignation among residents and religious circles, who considered it a blatant provocation of religious sentiments in the region.

This incident is the second of its kind in Debel in less than a month, as another Israeli soldier previously destroyed a statue of Jesus Christ with a pickaxe on April 19. The Christian-majority town is located in the Bint Jbeil district and is characterized by its close proximity to the border, where about 1,700 of its residents insist on staying in their homes despite escalating attacks.

For its part, media sources reported that the Israeli army began examining the documentation that was circulated during the past twenty-four hours, suggesting that the photos were taken by soldiers and deliberately published. These investigations come amid international pressure and widespread criticism of the field behavior of Israeli soldiers in Lebanese villages and towns that have recently witnessed incursions.

Hebrew reports indicated that this series of violations included the demolition of infrastructure and civilian buildings in Christian villages without clear military justifications. As a result of increasing global criticism, the Israeli authorities decided to appoint a special ambassador to the Christian world in an attempt to restore its diplomatic image, which has been damaged by these repeated practices.

In a related context, the incident of destroying the statue of Christ in April prompted the army to take disciplinary measures against two soldiers, including removal from combat duties and detention for 30 days. However, observers believe that keeping these soldiers in military service reflects leniency that encourages the repetition of such attacks against religious symbols.

The damage was not limited to statues and symbols, but military operations also affected a number of historical churches in southern Lebanon, leading to severe material losses. Church circles were also shocked by the killing of the priest of Mar Georges Church, Father Pierre Al-Rahi, who fell victim to the continuous Israeli attacks on border villages.

These developments come at a time when Christian holy sites in occupied Jerusalem are suffering from similar harassment, as Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. These restrictions coincided with Christian holidays in April, which deprived thousands of worshipers from performing their religious rituals freely and safely.

Human rights sources also documented an increase in incidents of spitting on Christian clerics by extremist settlers in the Old City of Jerusalem. These violations coincide with international reports of systematic destruction of a number of churches and their facilities in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.

Analysts believe that targeting Christian symbols in Lebanon and Palestine reflects an extremist approach that goes beyond the declared military objectives of Israeli operations. Religious and political bodies in Lebanon demand the necessity of providing international protection for holy sites and putting an end to provocative actions that threaten civil peace and religious coexistence in the region.

The Israeli army is examining documentation showing a soldier smoking a cigarette and placing another in a statue of the Virgin Mary in the town of Debel.