A Jewish man has been acquitted in the repeated kicking assault of a Catholic nun in Jerusalem, with a court ordering him to spend up to six years in a psychiatric hospital due to an insanity defense. The verdict followed a finding that the man was psychotic at the time of the April attack.
The assault, which occurred in front of the Cenacle on Jerusalem's Mount Zion, sent shockwaves through Israel's Christian communities. The 48-year-old nun, a researcher at The French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem, was shoved to the ground and then repeatedly kicked, sustaining severe bruising.
The judge at Jerusalem Magistrate's Court confirmed evidence that the man, who is from a settlement in the occupied West Bank, committed the actions. However, the district psychiatrist's assessment of his mental state at the time of the incident led to the acquittal based on insanity.
Friar Olivier Poquillon, director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School, expressed a desire for the hospitalization to be fully implemented to ensure public safety and the nun's recovery. However, he regretted that a criminal penalty was not imposed, noting that the attacker "deliberately choose[s] a Catholic nun as his victim."
Clergy and advocates have reported an increase in verbal abuse and spitting targeting Christians in Jerusalem's historic Old City. While daily interactions between Christians, Jews, and Muslims are often uneventful, the violent beating of the nun was seen as a concerning escalation. Experts suggest that such hostility can be influenced by prevailing discourse, even among individuals with mental instability. Organizations tracking religious harassment have noted a significant rise in incidents in Jerusalem, largely attributed to Jewish religious nationalists.
In response to rising tensions and incidents, Israel's foreign ministry condemned the attack, reiterating its commitment to safeguarding freedom of religion. The Israeli Defense Forces also stated they were investigating an incident in April where a soldier was filmed destroying a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, an act they deemed inconsistent with IDF values. Additionally, Israel's special envoy to the Christian world announced the appointment of an English-speaking police officer as a liaison for Christians to ensure rapid response to incidents.