{"id":2601259,"date":"2026-05-11T13:43:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-israeli-soldiers-sentenced-to-prison-for-desecration-of-mary-statue\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T13:45:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:45:36","slug":"two-israeli-soldiers-sentenced-to-prison-for-desecration-of-mary-statue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-israeli-soldiers-sentenced-to-prison-for-desecration-of-mary-statue\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Israeli Soldiers Sentenced to Prison for Desecration of Mary Statue"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftwo-israeli-soldiers-sentenced-to-prison-for-desecration-of-mary-statue%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2601259&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Two Israeli soldiers are sentenced to military prison in connection with incidents in southern Lebanon involving a Christian religious symbol. One soldier allegedly shoved a cigarette into a Virgin Mary statue\u2019s mouth, and another photographed the act; the cigarette photo went viral and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bay-area-clerk-set-on-fire-after-confronting-serial-shoplifter\/\" title=\"Bay Area clerk burned while confronting repeat shoplifter.\">triggered widespread outrage<\/a>. The military said the first soldier will serve 21 days and the second 14 days, describing the matter as serious while stating it respects freedom of religion and holy sites.  <\/p>\n<p>the report also notes the broader conflict context: Israeli forces have been operating in southern Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah as part of the wider Israel-Iran war dynamics, despite a fragile truce. It adds that the photo circulated shortly after other controversial actions involving Christian symbols drew international condemnation, and that a driver for the Israeli military was killed in combat near the border on Monday.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>JERUSALEM (AP) \u2014 Two <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/israel\">Israeli<\/a> soldiers will spend weeks in military prison for desecration of a Christian object after one stuck a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/lebanon\">Lebanon<\/a> and the other photographed it.<\/p>\n<p>The photo of the soldier, a cigarette dangling from his own mouth, went viral and sparked widespread outrage. It was the latest act by Israeli forces to be denounced as anti-Christian in southern Lebanon, where Israel launched a ground <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-lebanon-invasion-attack-war-ap-style-2e22f39ce455f859483463550c0725f0\">invasion<\/a> earlier this year to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s military said the soldier posing would get 21 days in military prison and the soldier who photographed it would get 14.<\/p>\n<p>The military \u201cviews the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-is-detaining-christians-in-secret-facilities-forcing-them-to-renounce-their-faith-or-be-tortured-report\/\" title=\"China Is Detaining Christians In Secret Facilities Forcing Them To Renounce Their Faith Or Be Tortured: Report\">religious symbols<\/a> of all religions and communities,\u201d spokesperson LLt. Col. Ariella Mazor wrote X.<\/p>\n<p>The photo circulated days after images of an Israeli soldier wielding an ax against a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern Lebanon village of Debel was roundly condemned by foreign leaders, Christian leaders and Israeli politicians. The military sentenced soldiers who participated in the act to time in military prison.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli forces took control of southern Lebanon as part of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired missiles over the border two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war with Iran. Israeli forces have remained despite a weekslong truce.<\/p>\n<p>Also Monday, Israel\u2019s military said a soldier who worked as a driver had been killed in combat near the border, marking the 18th to die in the area since the start of the Iran war.<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s military says it only targets buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group. The scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents worried that large numbers of people displaced by <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/iran\">the latest war<\/a> will have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >normal editorial standards<\/a>. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/court-of-appeals-in-swing-states-drop-major-ruling-hurting-kamala-harris-chances-against-trump\/\" title=\"Court of Appeals in Swing States Drop Major Ruling, Hurting Kamala Harris&#039; Chances Against Trump\">highly engaged readers<\/a>, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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