A Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court judge has acquitted a man accused of attacking a Catholic nun, ruling that he was psychotic at the time of the incident and ordering him to psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years. The court found sufficient evidence that the man, who is from a settlement in the occupied West Bank, committed the actions he was charged with.
The violent assault in April on a nun walking in her habit in Jerusalem’s Old City had caused shockwaves across Israel and its Christian communities. Clergy and advocates have reported an increase in verbal abuse and spitting incidents in the densely packed historic heart of Jerusalem, where people of various faiths frequently cross paths.
The attack on the nun was considered a notable escalation in the volatile environment experienced by people of all faiths amid nearly three years of war. The director of The French Biblical and Archeological School of Jerusalem, where the nun is a researcher, expressed hope that the psychiatric hospitalization would be fully carried out to ensure public safety and aid the nun’s recovery, allowing people to live and visit Jerusalem without fear.
However, Friar Olivier Poquillon regretted the decision not to impose a criminal penalty, noting that the perpetrator had deliberately chosen a Catholic nun as his victim. Yisca Harani, founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center, stated that even mentally unstable individuals can be influenced by prevailing discourse, suggesting the man was affected by anti-Christian sentiment.
Harani’s organization has documented a significant rise in incidents targeting Christians in Jerusalem, with the number nearly tripling over the past four years, averaging about one incident per day in the last recorded three months. These incidents are almost exclusively attributed to Jewish religious nationalists.
Experts suggest that hostility towards Christians among some groups is rooted in historical persecution of Jews in Christian-majority European countries, objections to Christian faith practices viewed as idolatry, and a perception of their presence as an affront near sites historically sacred to Jews, such as the Western Wall.
Ambassador George Deek, Israel's special envoy to the Christian world, announced that Israeli police have appointed an English-speaking officer to serve as a primary point of contact for Christians reporting incidents, aiming for a rapid response. Deek stated that Israel is developing practical solutions to minimize or halt such occurrences, emphasizing the seriousness with which these issues are treated.