An Israeli court has acquitted a Jewish man who violently attacked a French Catholic nun in Jerusalem's Old City, ruling that he was not criminally responsible for his actions due to a psychotic episode at the time of the assault. Jerusalem Magistrates Court found that Yona Schreiber, 36, was in a psychotic state when he pushed over and kicked the nun in occupied East Jerusalem in April, ordering him to be committed to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years rather than face criminal punishment. The ruling came after the district psychiatrist's report concluded that Schreiber "was in a psychotic state at the time of the act and is not substantively fit to stand trial", a finding the prosecution accepted.

CCTV footage of the attack, in which the nun was shoved to the ground and kicked, striking her head on a stone block and suffering a bruised face and leg, circulated widely and provoked sharp condemnation across France and Europe. The French Consulate in Jerusalem condemned what it called an act of aggression, while the director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School — where the nun works as a researcher — described it as "an act of sectarian violence". Israel's foreign ministry denounced the assault as a "shameful act" contrary to the country's values of religious coexistence, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the attack "disgusting", while expressing understanding for the court's decision given Schreiber's mental health condition.

The case has reignited a broader debate about the safety of Christian clergy and communities in Jerusalem. The Old City — a walled area in the eastern part of Jerusalem that contains sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — has seen a documented rise in harassment of Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists in recent years. Incidents have included spitting at those wearing Christian religious dress, vandalism of church properties, and disputes over settler encroachments on church-owned land. Church leaders have accused Israeli authorities of allowing changes to long-standing agreements governing their holy sites.

Jerusalem's Christian community is estimated at around 9,900 people, spread across 13 official churches, and has been shrinking for decades. A 2025 report by the Rossing Center, a Jerusalem-based interfaith organisation, describes a "recent surge in overt animosity towards Christianity", attributing it to deepening polarisation and ultra-nationalist political trends. Advocates say the pattern of harassment, of which this attack is among the most visible examples, has been a significant driver of Christian emigration from the city.