An Israeli court has acquitted a Jewish man who attacked a nun in Jerusalem, ruling that he was not criminally responsible due to a psychotic episode. The incident, captured on CCTV, drew widespread condemnation.
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court found that Yona Schreiber, 36, pushed and kicked the French nun in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem in April. Judge Ofir Tishler ordered his acquittal and committed him to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years, citing the district psychiatrist's report that Schreiber "was in a psychotic state at the time of the act and is not substantively fit to stand trial."
The victim, a researcher at the French Biblical and Archaeological School, suffered bruising to her face and leg after hitting her head on a stone block. The attack video sparked outrage and heightened concerns over a rise in harassment of Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists in the Old City.
The prosecution accepted the psychiatric opinion and requested acquittal and hospitalization. The French Consulate in Jerusalem strongly condemned the "aggression," and the school's director called it an "act of sectarian violence." Israel's foreign ministry denounced the attack as a "shameful act" contradicting the country's commitment to religious freedom.
The incident is part of a broader pattern of tensions in Jerusalem's Old City, where religious Jews have been reported spitting and acting aggressively toward Christians. Church properties have been vandalized, and settler takeovers have fueled disputes. Church leaders accuse Israel of trying to alter the status quo at holy sites.
A 2025 report by the Rossing Center, which promotes inter-faith relations, describes a "recent surge in overt animosity towards Christianity," attributing it to "a continued deepening of polarisation and ultra-nationalist political trends." The acquittal has been met with mixed reactions, with some welcoming the focus on mental health and others concerned about the message it sends regarding religious violence.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk