A Jewish man accused of repeatedly kicking a Catholic nun in Jerusalem has been acquitted by a court on mental health grounds and will be committed to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years. The incident occurred in April in Jerusalem's Old City and involved an attack on a 48-year-old nun walking in her habit.
The attacker, whose identity has not been released, initially shoved the nun, causing her to fall. He then turned back and kicked her multiple times. The assault left the nun with significant bruising. The incident took place near the Cenacle, a site considered holy by both Christians and Jews.
A judge at Jerusalem Magistrate's Court determined that while the man, who resides in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, committed the actions he was charged with, he was entitled to an insanity defense. A district psychiatrist had found him to be psychotic at the time of the attack.
The director of The French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, where the nun is a researcher, expressed hope that the psychiatric hospitalization would be fully implemented to ensure public safety and aid the nun's recovery. However, he also voiced regret that a criminal penalty was not imposed. He noted that at the time of the incident, the man's judgment was sufficient for him to specifically target a Catholic nun.
Clergy and advocates report an increase in verbal abuse and spitting incidents in Jerusalem's historic center, an area where people of various faiths interact daily. The violent beating of the nun is seen by some as a worrying escalation in tensions.
Yisca Harani, founder of the Religious Freedom Data Center, suggested that even individuals with mental instability can be influenced by prevailing public discourse. She stated that the attacker was potentially influenced by anti-Christian sentiment.
Harani's organization has documented a nearly threefold increase in such incidents in Jerusalem over the past four years, with approximately one incident occurring daily in recent months, largely attributed to Jewish religious nationalists. Experts suggest that hostility towards Christians stems from historical persecution of Jews, perceptions of Christian practices as idolatrous, and concerns about Christian presence near sites sacred to Judaism.
In response to the incident, Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the act and reaffirmed the country's commitment to safeguarding freedom of religion and worship. Separately, in April, an Israeli Defense Force soldier was filmed destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in a village in southern Lebanon, an act that also drew widespread condemnation. The IDF stated that the conduct of the soldiers involved was inconsistent with expected values.
Ambassador George Deek, Israel's special envoy to the Christian world, mentioned that Israeli police have appointed an English-speaking officer as a point of contact for Christians experiencing incidents to ensure a rapid response. He affirmed that authorities are working on practical solutions to minimize or prevent such occurrences.