Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
An Israeli court has cleared a Jewish man who was filmed assaulting a French nun in Jerusalem’s Old City, ruling that he was experiencing a severe psychotic episode when the attack took place.
The Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court found that Yona Schreiber was not criminally responsible for his actions during the incident in April. Rather than sending him to prison, the court ordered that he be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a period of up to six years.
The decision followed a psychiatric assessment that concluded Schreiber had been suffering from psychosis at the time of the assault and was not mentally capable of participating fully in criminal proceedings. Prosecutors accepted the assessment and supported both the acquittal and the hospital order.
The attack was recorded by a security camera and the footage circulated widely, prompting condemnation in France, Israel and among Christian institutions in Jerusalem. The video appeared to show Schreiber knocking the nun to the ground before kicking her as she lay on the pavement.
The nun struck her head against a stone structure during the assault and sustained injuries to her face and leg. She was later identified as a French researcher affiliated with the French Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem.
Schreiber, who is 36, had faced a charge of assault motivated by hostility toward a religious group. The charge reflected concerns that the incident was not merely a random act of violence but was connected to the victim’s religious identity and clothing.
Judge Ofir Tishler acknowledged that Schreiber had carried out the attack but concluded that his mental state prevented him from being held criminally liable. The judge’s ruling means that Schreiber will remain under psychiatric supervision rather than receive a conventional criminal sentence.
The case drew particular attention because it occurred amid growing concern over hostility directed at Christian clergy, religious workers and pilgrims in Jerusalem. The Old City is home to major holy sites belonging to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and it attracts visitors from around the world. Christian leaders have warned that repeated incidents of harassment are creating an increasingly difficult environment for their communities.
After the assault, the French Consulate in Jerusalem issued a strong condemnation, describing the incident as unacceptable aggression against a French citizen and a member of the clergy.
The director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School characterized the attack as sectarian violence. The institution said the incident was especially troubling because the nun had been carrying out academic and religious work in a city that is supposed to be open to people of different faiths.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry also denounced the assault. It called the incident shameful and said it contradicted the principles of respect, coexistence and religious freedom that Israel claims to uphold. The ministry said Israel remained committed to protecting freedom of worship and ensuring that all religious communities could live, pray and practice their faith safely and with dignity in Jerusalem.
Although the attack on the nun was unusually violent, it came against a backdrop of repeated incidents involving Christian residents and visitors in the Old City. In recent years, religious Jews have been accused of spitting at Christian clergy, verbally abusing pilgrims and behaving aggressively toward people wearing crosses, clerical clothing or other Christian symbols.
Churches and other Christian properties have also been vandalized. In some cases, religious institutions have faced disputes involving property ownership, access and the control of sites considered sacred by Christian communities.
Church leaders say these incidents are linked to broader attempts to challenge longstanding arrangements governing religious sites. They argue that changes in control or ownership could threaten the established status quo, a collection of historical agreements and practices that regulate responsibilities at many holy places.
Israeli officials have rejected accusations that the state seeks to undermine Christian rights and have repeatedly said that religious freedom is protected. However, church representatives say that public condemnation is not enough and that authorities must do more to prevent harassment, investigate offenders and protect minorities.
A 2025 report by the Rossing Center, a Jerusalem-based organization focused on interfaith relations, described an increase in open hostility toward Christianity. The organization linked the trend to heightened political polarization and the growing influence of ultra-nationalist movements.
The report warned that verbal abuse, spitting, vandalism and other forms of intimidation could gradually normalize discrimination against Christians, even when individual incidents did not result in serious physical injuries.
The court’s decision in Schreiber’s case has therefore been viewed through two separate lenses. Legally, it reflects the principle that a person suffering from a serious mental disorder may not be held responsible in the same way as someone who understands the nature and consequences of their actions. Socially, the assault has renewed questions about the treatment of Christian communities in Jerusalem and the ability of authorities to protect them.
The hospital order is intended to address Schreiber’s mental health condition while preventing him from posing an immediate risk to the public. Meanwhile, Christian organizations are calling for greater protection and accountability as concerns about religious harassment continue to grow in the city.
