Jerusalem Magistrates Court acquitted 36‑year‑old Yona Schreiber. The verdict followed video evidence from a camera that showed him pushing and then kicking a French nun as both walked through the Old City. The court found Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic episode and therefore not criminally responsible, ordering his transfer to a psychiatric facility for a potential term of up to six years.
Schreiber had been charged with assault driven by hostility towards a religious group. A district psychiatrist’s report concluded he was not fit to stand trial, and the prosecution accepted this, moving for his acquittal. Judge Ofir Tishler explained that although the violence occurred, mental health conditions outweighed culpability.
The French Consulate in Jerusalem and the director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School condemned the assault, calling it a “sectarian act” and a “shameful violation of respect and coexistence.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing the attack and reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting religious freedom in Jerusalem.
The incident escalated concerns about a rising pattern of harassment against Christian clergy in the Old City, with reports of aggressive actions by Jewish extremists. Recent studies attribute this trend to deepening polarization and ultra‑nationalist politics in the region.
While protests from religious communities continue, Israel’s courts currently emphasize mental health when determining criminal responsibility, balancing legal accountability with psychiatric care.
