3 things to know about Israel's relationship with Christians

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, July 22, 2026

1. Israel’s response to acts of bigotry against Christians

JCAP Director of U.S. Relations Avi Zimmerman acknowledged that there have been incidents involving acts of bigotry against Christians but contends that the Israelis carrying out these types of incidents are a “fringe” group, usually teens. 

Zimmerman highlighted data from a report included in Thursday’s briefing titled "Israel's Relationship with Christians: Strategic Reality vs. International Narrative," which was shared with The Christian Post.

According to the data, there were 181 such incidents documented in Jerusalem in 2025 in which physical assaults fell 63% from 2024 as enforcement tightened.

“We do want to stress that there's a difference between institutionalized and systematic persecution of Christians and bigoted acts,” Zimmerman said. “Those are fundamentally different, and there is no comparison.”

Earlier this year, a photo of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier putting a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon went viral on social media. 

In a May 11 statement, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Ariella Mazor said that, following an investigation, "the soldier documented carrying out the act was sentenced to 21 days of military prison, and the soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days of military prison."

Mazor added that the Israeli military "views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities. Procedures regarding conduct around religious institutions and religious symbols are routinely reinforced to troops prior to entering the relevant areas."

Weeks earlier, two IDF soldiers were removed from their units and sentenced to military prison when one of them smashed a crucifix with a sledgehammer while another photographed the act in the southern Lebanese village of Debel.

Following an inquiry into the incident, the IDF determined that "the soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values," according to a statement.