The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has publicly reacted to the dissemination of an image in which an Israeli soldier appears damaging a crucifix in southern Lebanon, an event that has generated concern among Christian believers.
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Through a message posted on his X account, Netanyahu expressed his condemnation of the incident and assured that the military authorities have opened a criminal investigation to clarify what happened. The head of the Israeli government stated that he felt “surprised and saddened” upon learning of the facts, and emphasized that he condemns “in the strongest terms” the soldier’s action, also indicating that “severe disciplinary measures” will be taken against the responsible party.
In his statement, the prime minister reiterated Israel’s commitment to freedom of worship and coexistence between religions, stating that the State “values and respects the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect among believers of all religions.” In that sense, he maintained that “all religions flourish” in Israel and that members of different confessions are considered “equal in building society”.
Netanyahu also referred to the Middle East context, pointing out that the situation of Christians in Israel differs from that in other countries in the region. According to him, while in some places Christians suffer violence, in Israel their population and standard of living have experienced growth.
The prime minister concluded his message expressing his regret for what happened and for the damage caused to believers, both in Lebanon and in the rest of the world: “We express our regret for the incident and for any pain it may have caused to the faithful in Lebanon and around the world”.