After an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier destroyed a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a broad statement attempting to explain Israel’s attitude toward Christians.
This was reported by elchi, citing Netanyahu’s post on the “X” social network.
“As a Jewish state, Israel values and adheres to Jewish values such as tolerance and mutual respect among Jews and members of all religions. All religions flourish in our land, and we see representatives of all faiths as equal participants in building our society and our region.
Yesterday, like the vast majority of Israelis, I was shocked and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier had damaged a Catholic religious site in southern Lebanon. I strongly condemn this act. The military leadership is conducting a criminal investigation into this incident, and appropriate strict disciplinary measures will be taken against the person responsible.
At a time when Christians are being subjected to massacres by Muslims in Syria and Lebanon, the Christian population in Israel is thriving, which is not observed in other countries of the Middle East. Israel is the only country in the region where the number and standard of living of Christians are increasing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East where freedom of religion for all is protected. We express our regret for this incident and for any offense that may have been caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world,” he wrote.
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