Another IDF soldier has decided to attack Christianity, this time the Virgin Mary, with a photo that has gone viral on social media of the Israeli putting a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in a Christian village in southern Lebanon. Once again, the move has infuriated Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski.
The Polish Foreign Ministry also expressed its “outrage,” citing Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ provision that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also chimed in: “IDF soldiers, however, require training in respect for other religions and cultures. Further casualties in the Gaza Strip and settler excesses in the West Bank are also unacceptable. As an ‘occupying power,’ Israel is responsible for the treatment of the people it controls.”
Żołnierze IDF jednak wymagają szkolenia w szacunku do innych religii i kultur.
Kolejne ofiary w strefie Gazy oraz ekcesy osadników na Zachodnim Brzegu też są niedopuszczalne.
Jako 'occupying power' Izrael odpowiada za traktowanie ludzi nad którymi sprawuje kontrolę. https://t.co/8NFpD9BmSG
— Radosław Sikorski 🇵🇱🇪🇺 (@sikorskiradek) May 7, 2026Sikorski has been highly critical of Israeli actions as of late, especially following photos of an Israeli soldier taking a sledgehammer to a Jesus statue in Lebanon recently. In that case, the IDF soldier in had apparently posted the image on his own social media profile.
Sikorski wrote at the time on X: “It’s good that Minister Sa’ar apologized quickly; there was something to apologize for. That soldier should be punished, but lessons should also be drawn regarding the way they are being trained. IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but even their own hostages.”
This new incident coincides with Israel’s launch of a campaign to improve its image in the eyes of Christians around the world, notes Do Rzeczy.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted that “the IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasizes that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.”
Just two days ago, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, presumably as part of its campaign to boost the image of Israel with Christians, posted an incident of violence by Muslims against Christians in the West Bank, stressing that IDF soldiers sought “to protect civilians and respect the sanctity of the holy site.”
“Too often, violence against Christians in the Middle East is ignored. Yesterday it happened again in Judea and Samaria,” they wrote. They may want to keep a closer eye on their own soldiers.
