An Israeli court has acquitted Yona Schreiber, 36, after he attacked a French nun in Jerusalem’s Old City, ruling that he was experiencing a psychotic episode and was therefore not criminally responsible. He has been ordered to spend up to six years in a psychiatric hospital, in a case that drew strong condemnation after CCTV footage showed the assault.

The nun was pushed from behind and kicked in April, suffering bruising to her face and leg after hitting her head on a stone block. The attack intensified concerns about harassment and hostility towards Christian clergy and pilgrims in the Old City; a 2025 interfaith report cited growing animosity towards Christianity amid polarisation and ultra-nationalist political trends.