Middle East

JERUSALEM (OSV News) — Holding placards calling for “justice,” “trust” and “peace,” religious leaders led hundreds of peace activists, Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze in a march in Jerusalem May 18, …

The incident, which occurred several weeks ago in the predominantly Christian village of Debel, was treated “with great severity,” an IDF spokesperson said.

“The incident will be investigated, and command measures will be taken against the soldier in accordance with the findings.”

“In whose name and for what motivation can sacred places be destroyed and outraged, human beings offended and humiliated, religious signs and symbols trampled upon?”

In the late afternoon, the nun “felt someone come up behind her and throw her with full force onto a rock,” according to one news report.

If you think of the most secularized regions in Europe — like the Czech Republic — even there, Christians are many times more numerous than here.”

Lebanese Christians in Debel are celebrating the gift of a new statue of Jesus on the cross after a recent act of desecration by two Israeli soldiers drew global outrage.

“(It’s) a grave affront to the Christian faith and adds to other reported incidents of desecration of Christian symbols by IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon.”

While living in accordance with Gospel values can be seen as “countercultural and sometimes even counterproductive,” the pope said, it is the right path.

“What Israel wants is the disarmament of Hezbollah, and this goal has not been achieved. A truce would reopen the door to diplomacy.”