IDF Investigating Israeli Soldier Who Took Sledgehammer To Statue of Jesus

 By now you've probably already seen this:

 

According to Not The Bee's report on it, Israel's military has confirmed that the photograph is real and the matter is being investigated. The IDF soldier was operating in southern Lebanon and is facing a criminal investigation according to a post on X by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But rather than leave it at that, the Not The Bee piece goes on to explain and excuse the Israeli soldier's conduct.

    The article explains that many Israeli Jews are devout in their religion and noting that "[i]n the Bible, the best kings were those who smashed the idols and altars on the 'high places' as an act of worship and dedication to the true and living God," adding:

    ... For devout Jews, rebuilding Israel is a sign that God is about to restore their temple and kingdom, with the messiah being a core part of that belief.

    The reason the IDF or Netanyahu won't say the name of Jesus is that he is intolerable to them, as He was to their ancestors. I am not being antisemitic here: I am simply saying that devout Jews see Jesus as a heretic, not a Savior. 

Then comes the excusing:

    Whether or not you believe these things or not is between you and God. But the secular Israeli government is not an individual - it holds all these things in tension as any government does. It cannot have soldiers desecrating religious statues that may hurt its war efforts ... but it also cannot alienate the devout Jews in its ranks who support smashing "idols" of "heretics." It walks a line of compromise, public relations, and negotiation that gives it critics on all sides. 

    A wise person will note that the Israeli politics of the 21st century are as complicated as those in the 1st century. A wise person will also notice that the IDF didn't have to admit the photo was real but DID. A wise person will realize there's no reason to throw everyone in Israel under the bus because of the actions of one man. 

This apology is, frankly, appalling. Some thoughts:

1. Are we, in fact, supposed to be pleasantly surprised when the Israeli military tells the truth? Is that really the standard under which we are to treat IDF pronouncements?
2. Who cares if Israeli kings were considered good for tearing down pagan idols in ancient Israel or Judah? This soldier wasn't in Israel but in Lebanon--a country that was majority Christian until recent times--and this is the 21st Century AD, not the 7th Century BC. His action served no military purpose, but was an expression of Jewish supremacy. Moreover, he did this knowing that it was an insult to Israel's greatest ally--perhaps only ally--the United States. He should be dishonorably discharged (or whatever is its equivalent in the IDF) simply for being so stupid.  
3. This is not just one soldier. There was, at the least, the soldier filming it and their NCOs and other unit leaders that allowed it or condoned it after the fact. Because let's be realistic here: there would have been no IDF investigation until it became a PR disaster in the United States. 
4.  Would the writer apply the same reasoning to other religions? Could we not say the same thing about devout Muslims vandalizing synagogues or churches? Should vandalizing synagogues or churches be excused in order to not alienate devout Muslims? 
5. No matter how the writer twists it, the soldier was tearing down and attempting to destroy the image of Christ and thereby deserves to be condemned by all Christians.