Greek Orthodox Church Warns of Attacks on Christians in Jerusalem
Al Jazeera Staff
A Greek Orthodox archbishop in Jerusalem condemned the assault on a nun earlier this week and warned of a rising pattern of attacks targeting Christians in the Holy City. Israeli police arrested a 36-year-old Jewish man suspected of the assault, while churches and monitoring groups report a surge in anti-Christian violence. The Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced the act as shameful and vowed to prosecute the perpetrators.
Archbishop Atallah Hanna, head of a Greek Orthodox church in Jerusalem, condemned the attack on a nun in the city earlier this week. In a Facebook post, he wrote that “the assault on a nun in Jerusalem comes amid an escalation of violations against Christian institutions in the city” and that “this reflects growing concerns about the future of the historic Christian presence in the Holy Land.”
In the post, accompanied by a video, the archbishop warned that such attacks “are no longer isolated incidents but part of a recurring pattern that threatens the Christian presence,” and called for international action to stop them.
On Thursday, Israeli police released a video showing a Jewish man attacking a French nun in Jerusalem on Tuesday. The footage depicts the man following the nun, shoving her hard to the ground, causing a head injury, then walking away briefly before returning to kick her as she lay on the ground, until bystanders intervened. Police said they arrested a 36-year-old Jewish man on suspicion of assaulting the nun. Police stated they treat with “the utmost severity” any violence “potentially motivated by racism and targeting clergy.”
Father Olivier Poquillon, director of the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Studies in Jerusalem, confirmed that the 48-year-old nun is a researcher at the institute and declined to comment publicly.
According to the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, which monitors such incidents, attacks against the Christian community in occupied East Jerusalem and Israel have increased in recent years. Churches in Jerusalem have repeatedly called on Israeli authorities to take decisive action to end this situation.
Israel's Foreign Ministry called the incident a “shameful act” and affirmed, “In a city holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, we are committed to protecting all communities and ensuring those responsible for violence face justice.”
A month earlier, a photo sparked outrage showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military later said the soldier was sentenced to 30 days' imprisonment, along with another soldier who filmed the incident. Six other soldiers were summoned for questioning.
