CCTV footage captures the moment a man attacks a nun in Jerusalem. An Israeli settler, Yona Simcha Schreiber, from the West Bank settlement of Peduel, will go on trial for assault motivated by hostility towards a religious group, Israel's justice ministry announced.
Details of the Attack
The attack occurred on Mount Zion, just outside the Old City, targeting a 48-year-old French Catholic nun who is a researcher at Jerusalem's French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research. Surveillance footage shows Schreiber rushing at the nun, dressed in a white habit and black veil, violently pushing her to the ground, where she narrowly misses hitting her head on a stone block. He leaves the scene but returns to kick her before a passerby intervenes.
Legal Proceedings
Schreiber, 36, has been under arrest since April 29. The prosecution has requested his continued detention until the trial. He faces a charge of assault resulting in injuries, motivated by hostility towards a religious group.
Reactions and Condemnation
The French consulate in Jerusalem condemned the attack and demanded Schreiber be brought to trial. The Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem expressed profound shock and condemnation, stating this is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern of rising hostility towards the Christian community. Israel's foreign ministry also condemned the shameful act, reaffirming commitment to safeguarding freedom of religion and worship for all faiths.
This incident has drawn widespread condemnation and highlights ongoing tensions in the region.
