Davide Dionisi – Vatican
Eighty-three acts of harassment in ninety days. Most of them took place in Jerusalem, mainly in the Old City. These primarily include spitting, physical assaults, threats and verbal insults, acts of vandalism, throwing rubbish and various objects into monastery courtyards, as well as online provocations, such as posting reviews on Google Maps about Christian places of worship containing biblical verses calling for the destruction of non-Jewish temples.
These conclusions come from the report published in recent days by the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) concerning incidents against Christians in Israel between April and June 2026. The report was prepared by Yisca Harani, director of this research center.
As the report emphasizes, these incidents often occur publicly and demonstratively. Sometimes parents even encourage their children to imitate such behavior. Local Christian communities suffer the most from this.
Nun attacked on Mount Zion
“On April 28 of this year, a nun was knocked to the ground on Mount Zion. However, the largest number of incidents were recorded during the Shavuot holiday, Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), the Flag March, and also during the procession for the ingress of the new apostolic nuncio,” the report reads. The document also points to the growing audacity and impunity of the perpetrators, who increasingly act openly, without fear of any consequences.
“We note the lack of a visible, symbolic Christian presence in the public space of Jerusalem (in contrast to the very clear presence of Jewish symbols),” emphasizes the study by Yisca Harani, whose team collects information from religious institutions and Christian communities, maintaining constant contact with them through a network of volunteers.
“Our task is to support victims in filing reports with the police and relevant authorities, as well as documenting and collecting information regarding each case. Volunteers working in the field also deal with cases of destruction of public signage, graffiti, and acts of vandalism. They follow the progress of cases until repairs are completed, continuing to monitor the situation in cooperation with the appropriate authorities. They are involved especially during religious holidays and Christian processions in the Old City of Jerusalem, to observe events, document them, and help prevent incidents,” the report reads.
Invisible Christians in the Old City
After the attack on the nun on Mount Zion, a special protective accompaniment program for clergy and consecrated persons in the Old City was launched. The program is implemented with the support of IRAC (Israel Religious Action Center), which provides legal assistance in reporting cases to the police on behalf of RFDC and JPPI (Jewish People Policy Institute).
“We appeal to the municipal authorities of Jerusalem to recognize that the lack of visible and symbolic representation of the Christian presence in public space directly contributes to manifestations of hostility by some Jewish citizens towards Christians. From the city hall complex to the Jaffa Gate, the public space clearly reflects a Jewish presence – through posters dedicated to Jewish themes, holiday greetings, and projections of images and films related to Jewish history and tradition on the city walls,” the report states.
The authors also emphasize that since the Old City includes two Christian quarters, “it would be equally appropriate to ensure a visible Christian presence in the public space as well.”
Desecration of religious symbols
However, attacks on religious symbols also concern places located outside the borders of Israel. “We recall the destruction of a statue of Jesus and the desecration of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have a duty to educate their soldiers and set basic standards of conduct towards religious communities and holy sites. We hope that such incidents will be properly addressed within the armed forces,” the report reads.
In this regard, the organization led by Yisca Harani has taken concrete actions. “After receiving reports of soldiers who mocked or disrespected Christians during a visit to Jerusalem, we contacted the Office of the Chief of Education of the Israel Defense Forces. We are pleased that this resulted in constructive educational cooperation. The guide we developed for guides leading military groups in Jerusalem has been adopted and disseminated by the relevant services. The document is available on our website,” she says.
Education for the youngest needed
Acts of aggression also occur during school trips and educational excursions.
“In recent years, thousands of school groups have visited Jerusalem as part of programs organized and funded by ministries,” the report informs. “As with military groups, most students receive only very limited or no information about the living presence of Christians in the city. As a result, encountering Christians can be a surprise for them and sometimes leads to hostile reactions. Due to a lack of adequate preparation, students also showed hostility towards Christian places and people during educational trips to other parts of the country. Therefore, coordinated educational action is necessary, involving organizers of school trips and tourist guides, especially regarding visits to Jerusalem,” the report concludes.
