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RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE
ISRAELI SOLDIER DESTROYS A STATUE OF CHRIST IN LEBANON: NETANYAHU APOLOGIZES, AMERICAN EVANGELICALS ERUPT
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DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow turns the Christian weapon: the West funds an ally that destroys its own faith's symbols
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Moscow documents the incident with unusual precision for RT. The article identifies the journalist who published the photo -- Younis Tirawi, Palestinian reporter on X -- and quotes Dibil's official community page, which shared a photo of the statue with a biblical quote: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'
RT goes further than most outlets by quoting American right-wing reactions. Marjorie Taylor Greene with her sarcasm about 'our greatest ally that takes billions of our tax dollars,' Matt Gaetz calling the image 'horrific.' RT also notes that 'Israel has struck several Christian sites during its campaign against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon' and recalls the 2023 bombing of Saint Porphyrius church in Gaza, which killed 18 people.
Russia's framing is clear: the West is discovering today what Russia, self-proclaimed protector of Orthodox Christians, has been denouncing for years. Russia doesn't accuse Israel directly -- it accuses the United States of funding an ally that destroys Christian symbols. The parallel with Russian accusations of 'Western satanism' is never far.
KEY POINTS
- RT quotes Dibil's page with biblical verse: 'Father forgive them' -- maximum religious framing
- RT recalls 2023 Saint Porphyrius bombing in Gaza -- 18 dead, a documented precedent
- Greene/Gaetz reactions amply quoted: RT relishes the US right turning against Israel
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Russia as Orthodox Christian protector is an old narrative serving foreign policy
Accumulation of precedents transforms individual act into deliberate policy
RT uses American right-wing voices as weapons against the US-Israel alliance
SOURCES (1)
RTCenter
STATE-CONTROLLEDSTATE MEDIA
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