Israel’s Chief Rabbinate has declined to condemn the smashing of a statue of Jesus by a soldier in southern Lebanon earlier this month, according to Army Radio.
The report on Thursday said military officials had asked the Rabbinate, the highest Jewish religious authority in Israel, to issue a statement condemning the incident, which drew widespread criticism.
According to the report, the army requested that the Rabbinate denounce the act as contrary to Jewish law, but no such condemnation was issued.
Instead, the Rabbinate reportedly agreed to coordinate with the military and Israel’s propaganda apparatus, known as hasbara, in handling similar incidents in the future.
The Israeli military did not deny the report.
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“Given the sensitivity surrounding the harm to a religious symbol, the IDF (Israeli army) considered various options for conveying that this incident does not reflect its values,” the military said.
“Naturally, some of these measures were implemented while others were not,” it added.
The incident, which took place in the southern Lebanese village of Debel, sparked international outrage, with religious and political leaders condemning the act.
The Israeli army said it dismissed the soldier who smashed the statue, as well as another who filmed the incident, and sentenced both to 30 days in military prison.
Religious influence in the military
The incident comes amid growing debate within Israel over the increasing influence of religion in the military.
“Secular soldiers came to understand that they have no choice but to live with what enables religious soldiers to serve alongside them,” Haaretz columnist Yossi Klein wrote on Wednesday.
“The military is prepared for the lives of secular soldiers to become unbearable in the shared military space,” he added, arguing that “the fusion of militarism and religiosity creates causes to fight for when there are no real objectives”.
Smashing a figure of Jesus is part of Israel’s ongoing erasure of Christians
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“Those who reject this fusion are perceived not only as a heretic, but also as a traitor to the state,” Klein added.
Earlier this month, Israel’s High Court ruled that the army must offer female soldiers the option of serving in the Armoured Corps, prompting criticism from some religious leaders.
Ynet reported on Tuesday that heads of yeshivas – traditional Jewish educational institutions – that are affiliated with the settler movement and the military held an emergency meeting to denounce the ruling.
One rabbi said: “I am not against women’s service, but we will not serve where there is gender mixing.”
Among prominent religious figures in the military is Rabbi Avraham Zarbiv, who became a mascot for bulldozing and destroying Palestinian homes during the Gaza genocide.
During Israel’s Independence Day ceremony last week, Zarbiv lit a torch as Israeli officials praised his actions.
Before the ceremony, Netanel Shemka, the commander of the Givati Brigade, which is currently destroying homes in southern Lebanon, said that Zarbiv “is speaking in the name of the Givati Brigade”.