In brief
After a harrowing CCTV clip showed Yona Schreiber assaulting a French nun in Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Magistrates Court ruled that the attacker was experiencing a psychotic episode and was therefore not criminally liable. Schreiber was acquitted and ordered to undergo up to six years of psychiatric care. The attack intensified concerns over rising hostility toward Christian clergy in the Old City and prompted condemnation from the French Consulate and Israel’s foreign ministry, which emphasized the country’s commitment to religious freedom.
A man identified as Yona Schreiber, 36, was caught on CCTV assaulting a French nun while walking in Jerusalem’s Old City. The video, released by Israeli police, shows Schreiber pushing the nun from behind and subsequently kicking her as she tried to step away.
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court, after reviewing a psychiatrist’s report, found that Schreiber was in a psychotic state at the time of the attack. Consequently, the court ruled he was not criminally responsible and ordered him to receive psychiatric care for up to six years.
The incident drew widespread condemnation. The French Consulate in Jerusalem strongly denounced the attack and called it a “shameful act.” Israel’s foreign ministry replied that the country remains committed to safeguarding religious freedom and ensuring that Jerusalem remains a safe place for all faiths.
Schreiber’s assault is now part of a growing pattern of sectarian incidents in the Old City, where Christian clergy and pilgrims have experienced spitting, aggression and property vandalism. Experts say the trend coincides with increasing polarization and ultranationalist political currents in the region.
The court’s decision underscores the importance of mental‑health considerations in criminal justice. While the attacker faced no criminal penalties, he will undergo treatment aimed at addressing the underlying psychotic episode that drove his actions.
