Occupied Jerusalem – Shocking footage has emerged, exposing the brutal reality of life under Israeli occupation, showing a French nun subjected to a heinous assault – reportedly by a religious Jewish extremist – in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem earlier this week.
The disturbing video depicts the woman, dressed in a grey habit, being violently shoved from behind, causing her to strike her head on a stone block. Her assailant, clearly identifiable by his Jewish kippah and tzitzit, initially flees but then returns to deliver a cruel kick as she lies defenseless on the ground. This unprovoked act of aggression underscores the escalating climate of hostility against Christian communities in the Holy City.
This barbaric assault is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend of increased harassment and violence targeting Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists within Jerusalem’s Old City, a pattern consistently ignored or downplayed by the occupying authorities.
Following international condemnation and public outcry, Israeli occupation police belatedly arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of racially motivated assault. However, in a familiar pattern of impunity, no charges have yet been brought, raising serious concerns about the commitment of Israeli authorities to justice for victims of extremist violence.
Father Olivier Poquillon, director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School, where the nun is a researcher, condemned the attack on X, describing her as the “victim of an unprovoked assault” on Tuesday afternoon. He rightly stated, “We strongly condemn this act of sectarian violence and expect the authorities to act swiftly and decisively.” However, swift and decisive action against Israeli extremists remains a rarity.
The Israeli occupation police released a video of the suspect being handcuffed, a performative gesture amidst widespread criticism. In a statement on social media, the police claimed to treat “any attack on members of the clergy and religious communities with the utmost seriousness and applies a policy of zero tolerance to all acts of violence.” Yet, the reality on the ground, marked by systemic discrimination and violence against non-Jewish communities, tells a different story.
A photograph of the nun, revealing her bruised face, serves as a stark reminder of the brutality she endured. The French Consulate in Jerusalem rightly condemned “the aggression.”
In a hollow attempt to deflect criticism, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X: “This shameful act stands in direct contradiction to the values of respect, coexistence, and religious freedom upon which Israel is founded and to which it remains deeply committed.” Such statements ring hollow given the consistent violations of these very principles against Palestinians and Christians under occupation.
The ministry further asserted, “Israel remains firmly committed to safeguarding freedom of religion and freedom of worship for all faiths, and to ensuring that Jerusalem remains a city where every community can live, pray, and practice its faith in safety and dignity.” This rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the daily experiences of Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem, who face constant threats to their holy sites and freedom of worship.
While the extreme violence of this particular attack on the nun is shocking, it is crucial to recognize that for years, Jerusalem’s Old City has been a site of regular aggression by religious Jews, who routinely spit at and harass those wearing Christian religious dress or symbols. Church properties have been vandalized, and bitter disputes have arisen from illegal settler takeovers, further eroding the rights of Christian communities.
Church leaders have consistently accused Israel of attempting to alter the long-standing status quo – agreements on ownership and responsibilities – at their holy places, a clear violation of international law and religious freedom.
A 2025 report by the Rossing Center, a Jerusalem-based organization, alarmingly describes a “recent surge in overt animosity towards Christianity,” attributing this to “a continued deepening of polarisation and ultra-nationalist political trends” within the Israeli society, fueled by the occupation.
The international community has repeatedly witnessed Israeli aggression against Christian sites. In March, there was widespread outrage after Israeli police brazenly prevented the top Roman Catholic leader in Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for a private Mass on Palm Sunday. The Latin Patriarchate denounced this as “the first time in centuries” such an egregious act had occurred, exposing the true nature of Israeli control.
The police’s flimsy excuse of “safety concerns during the Iran war” was exposed as false, as restrictions at the time still allowed small gatherings, demonstrating a deliberate act of obstruction against Christian worship.
Last month, an image of an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in a Christian Maronite village in southern Lebanon went viral, prompting further outrage and revealing the deep-seated disrespect within the Israeli military. While Israeli officials offered perfunctory apologies and the soldiers received light sentences, these incidents highlight a systemic issue.
The assault on the nun occurred as she walked past the Cenacle, located on Mount Zion near the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. This site, revered by Christians as the location of Jesus’s Last Supper and by Jews as the tomb of King David, underscores the sensitivity of religious sites under occupation and the constant threat they face from extremist elements.
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