RAMAT GAN, central Israel – The clock is ticking as talks with Iran are set to resume amid a fragile ceasefire, and a photo of an Israel Defense Forces soldier destroying a statue of Jesus is going viral, causing an uproar in the Christian community as Israel marks its Memorial Day and Independence Day.
President Trump confirmed that the U.S. has no plans to extend the current ceasefire, set to expire on Wednesday.
He warned that if an agreement isn’t reached, there will be “lots of bombs start going off.”
Vice President JD Vance, along with White House Envoy Steve Witkoff, is working to salvage negotiations this week in Pakistan. However, Iran is signaling that its representatives may not even show up.
Meanwhile, a second round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon is set for Thursday in Washington, DC. just days before a separate 10-day ceasefire with Hezbollah is set to expire. The Iranian-backed proxy is defiant, vowing not to disarm.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “We have achieved enormous things. It’s not over yet. And any moment could bring us new developments.”
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In Lebanon, controversy is growing after a photo emerged showing an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus in a Lebanese Christian village.
Israeli Rabbi Tuly Weisz told CBN News, “I was really shocked because, you know, the IDF, we pride ourselves on our moral army.”
The Israel Defense Forces called the incident “severe” and launched a criminal investigation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the soldier as more than 150 Rabbis and Jewish leaders signed a letter apologizing directly to Christians worldwide.
Weisz remarked, “This soldier should be held accountable for his actions. And what needs to ultimately happen is that there needs to be more education done in the IDF about Christians and how Christianity is a source of friendship for not only Israel, but for the IDF.”
In Jerusalem, a ceremony at the Western Wall honored Israel’s fallen soldiers. This past year alone, 172 soldiers were killed in attacks.
Gal Raviv-Galea was 34 weeks pregnant with their third child when her husband, Major Itay Galea, was killed by a Hezbollah rocket in 2024. We sat down with her to ask what this Memorial Day means to her.
She answered, “It’s not just our history. It’s our reality and our presence. And, there are a lot of people that have given their lives, and there are a lot of people that live with the consequences of this around us.”
