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Israeli Man Indicted in Jerusalem Nun Assault Motivated by Religious Hostility

Prosecutors ask the court to keep the suspect in custody for the duration of the case.

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man walks in an alley near the site where a nun was attacked by a man last Wednesday, outside the Old City of Jerusalem, Friday, May 1, 2026.(AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Christian pilgrims visit the Cenacle, traditionally believed to be the site of the Last Supper, in Jerusalem, Friday, May 1, 2026, as they walk past the site where a nun was attacked by a man last Wednesday. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Christian pilgrims walk past the site where a nun was attacked by a man last Wednesday, after visiting the Cenacle, traditionally believed to be the site of the Last Supper, in Jerusalem, Friday, May 1, 2026.(AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Overview

  • Yona Schreiber, 36, from the West Bank settlement of Peduel, was indicted Thursday in Jerusalem on charges of simple assault and assault motivated by religious hostility, and prosecutors moved to extend his detention for the case's duration.
  • CCTV video shows a man wearing a kippah and ritual tassels chasing a nun near the Old City walls, shoving her to the ground, and kicking a passerby who tried to intervene.
  • The victim is a French Catholic nun and researcher at the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, and officials said she suffered bruises to her face and leg.
  • Church leaders condemned the attack, and Israeli police said they apply a zero‑tolerance policy to violence against clergy and religious communities.
  • The case highlights a reported rise in harassment of Christians in Jerusalem, and Israel recently named diplomat George Deek as special envoy to the Christian world in response to such concerns.