CCTV footage has captured the moment a man attacked a French Catholic nun and archaeological researcher in Jerusalem, sparking widespread revulsion and condemnation from Israeli and French authorities.
The Attack
In the video, the assailant runs up behind the nun as she walks down a street on Mount Zion, pushing her forcefully to the ground. The victim narrowly missed hitting her head on a stone block. After walking away a few steps, the attacker—who appears to be Jewish—returns to kick the nun as she lies on the ground. The assault only stops when a passerby intervenes.
The nun sustained facial grazes but was not reported to be seriously injured. Israeli police confirmed the arrest of a 36-year-old man, stating they will "continue to act with a heavy hand and zero tolerance to preserve the safe fabric of life for all ethnicities and religions in Jerusalem."
Location and Reactions
The attack occurred near King David's Tomb and the Cenacle, a site traditionally revered by Christians as the location of the Last Supper. The French consulate strongly condemned the incident, calling for the perpetrator to be brought to justice. Father Olivier Poquillon, director of the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, identified the nun as a researcher at the school and demanded a firm response from authorities.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that this is "not an isolated incident, but part of a troubling pattern of rising hostility toward the Christian community and its symbols." The university emphasized that an attack on its scholars is an attack on the global scientific community.
Broader Context
Israel's foreign ministry denounced the attack as a "shameful act" contradicting the nation's values of respect, coexistence, and religious freedom. However, the ruling coalition government has faced criticism for fostering religious nationalism. Palestinian Christian communities in the West Bank have experienced increased harassment from Israeli settlers in recent years.
The incident comes amid growing hostility toward Christian clerics in Jerusalem and a decline in Israel's popularity in the West. Last month, an Israeli soldier was filmed vandalizing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, resulting in a 30-day jail sentence and a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing shock and sadness.
Underreporting of Incidents
The Religious Freedom Data Centre (RFDC), a network of Israeli volunteers, recorded 31 incidents of harassment against Christians in the first quarter of this year, mostly involving spitting or property defacement. The violent attack this week is highly unusual. However, the RFDC acknowledges that their figures understate the problem, as Orthodox congregations often do not report incidents. One monastery in Mea Shearim reported that children regularly spat and cursed the name of Jesus when they went out, though they had downplayed the issue.
