A French Nun Is Attacked in East Jerusalem, and Christians See a Pattern of Rising Violence

Key facts

• A French nun was assaulted in East Jerusalem on an unspecified date in late April or early May 2026.
• Israeli police arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with the attack.
• The Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue recorded 113 attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem in 2025, including 61 physical assaults targeting clergy.
• The Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) reported 31 incidents of harassment in the first three months of 2026, mostly spitting or defacing church property.
• Nearly half of Christians under 30 in the area say they want to leave, according to community surveys.
• The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) issued a statement on May 4, 2026, expressing deep concern over the pattern of violence.
• Hana Bendcowsky of the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations said the rise in attacks correlates with Israel's reduced concern for international opinion.

An Unprovoked Assault in the Old City

A French nun walking along a street in occupied East Jerusalem was attacked last week in what Israeli authorities described as an unprovoked incident. Police have arrested a 36-year-old man, and officials were quick to condemn the assault as 'despicable' and with 'no place' in Israeli society. But for the roughly 180,000 Christians living in Israel and the 10,000 in East Jerusalem, the attack was not an isolated event. It is the latest in a growing number of incidents of abuse, assault, and intimidation that the community says has increased in tandem with Israel's turn toward far-right nationalism. While high-profile attacks grab headlines, low-level harassment — spitting, insults, disparaging graffiti — has become a daily reality for many Christians, the majority of them Palestinian. A survey by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue found that nearly half of Christians under 30 are considering leaving the region.

A Surge Documented by Monitors

The Rossing Center tracked 113 known attacks on individuals and church property in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem last year, including 61 physical assaults that mainly targeted visible clergy — monks, nuns, friars, and priests. In the first three months of this year alone, the volunteer-run Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) recorded 31 incidents of harassment, most involving spitting or defacing church property. Analysts say many incidents go unreported because trust in the Israeli state is thin. 'It's definitely increased in the last three years,' said Hana Bendcowsky, programme director at the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations. 'Resentment toward Christianity existed in the past as well, but people did not dare express it openly.' Bendcowsky attributed the shift to a political atmosphere in Israel that is 'less concerned about how the world perceives us,' adding that the same sense of impunity is reflected in Israeli actions in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Official Condemnation and a Suspect Arrested

Israeli officials swiftly condemned the attack on the nun, calling it 'despicable' and vowing that such behavior has 'no place' in Israeli society. A suspect has been arrested, though authorities have not released details about his identity or possible motives. The arrest comes after Israeli soldiers were jailed last month for smashing a Christian statue in southern Lebanon, an incident that drew international criticism. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) issued a press statement on May 4, 2026, expressing 'deep concern' over the attack and the broader pattern of harassment. 'All forms of religious intolerance and provocation undermine coexistence in a city sacred to the three monotheistic faiths,' said Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the High Representative for UNAOC and UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. He called the arrest 'a necessary step toward accountability.'

Far-Right Nationalism and a Sense of Impunity

The rise in attacks on Christians coincides with Israel's political shift under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has brought far-right voices from the fringes into the heart of power. A survey by the Rossing Center found that ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalistic Israelis are responsible for the majority of attacks on Christians. 'Over the past three years, the political atmosphere in Israel — where there is less concern about how the world perceives us — has led people to feel more comfortable harassing Christians,' Bendcowsky said. She linked this to a broader sense of Israeli isolation and reduced concern about international reactions, reflected in policies toward Gaza and southern Lebanon. The Christian community in the region dates back more than 2,000 years. But many now find themselves attacked simply for practicing their faith, and the cumulative effect of daily indignities and physical violence is driving a desire to emigrate.

A Fragile Coexistence Under Strain

Jerusalem's Old City is home to some of the holiest sites in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The UNAOC statement warned that the pattern of harassment 'undermines coexistence' and urged restraint and responsibility to preserve peace and dignity for all communities. Analysts say the violence is part of a broader erosion of tolerance. 'Resentment toward Christianity existed in the past, but people did not dare express it openly,' Bendcowsky noted. Now, with far-right nationalism ascendant, that restraint has evaporated. For the Christians of East Jerusalem, the attack on the nun is not an anomaly but a symptom of a deeper crisis — one that, if left unchecked, could further empty the Holy Land of its ancient Christian presence.

The bottom line

• The attack on a French nun in East Jerusalem is part of a documented pattern of rising violence and harassment against Christians, with 113 attacks recorded in 2025.
• Israeli officials condemned the assault and arrested a suspect, but community trust remains low due to a perceived lack of broader accountability.
• Far-right and ultra-Orthodox Israelis are responsible for most attacks, according to the Rossing Center, and the trend has accelerated under Netanyahu's government.
• Nearly half of Christians under 30 in the region are considering leaving, driven by daily harassment and a sense of impunity among perpetrators.
• The United Nations has expressed alarm, calling for protection of religious sites and respect for coexistence in Jerusalem.