An Israeli court has acquitted a Jewish man, Yona Schreiber, who attacked a French nun in Jerusalem’s Old City, citing mental health grounds. The incident, caught on CCTV, drew widespread condemnation and concerns over rising harassment of Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists.
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court ruled that Schreiber was experiencing a psychotic episode when he pushed over and kicked the nun, and was not criminally responsible for his actions. He will be sent to a psychiatric hospital for up to six years.
- Schreiber, 36, was charged with assault motivated by hostility towards a religious group.
- The district psychiatrist’s report stated that Schreiber was in a psychotic state at the time of the act and is not substantively fit to stand trial.
- The prosecution accepted the psychiatrist’s opinion and asked for Schreiber to be acquitted and committed to hospital.
- The attack has deepened concerns over a rise in harassment of Christian clergy and pilgrims by Jewish extremists in the Old City.
Jerusalem Magistrates Court Ruling
Judge Ofir Tishler said that although Schreiber had attacked the nun, he was ordering his acquittal due to his mental health. The court’s decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some expressing concern over the rise in sectarian violence.
French Consulate and Biblical School Response
The French Consulate in Jerusalem ”
, “strongly condemned Schreiber’s aggression”
