Ynet News
The State Attorney’s Office indicted 36-year-old Yonah Simcha Schreiber on Thursday for violently attacking a Catholic nun in Jerusalem’s Old City in what prosecutors said was a religion-based assault.
Schreiber was charged in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court with assault causing bodily harm motivated by hostility toward a religious group.
The incident took place on April 28 at around 5:42 p.m. near King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said Schreiber noticed the complainant while she was dressed in Christian nun’s clothing. At that point, according to the indictment, he decided to attack her solely because she was a Christian.
Schreiber then ran toward the nun and forcefully pushed her, causing her to fall to the ground, hit her head, and feel dizzy, prosecutors said.
He then began kicking her violently while she was still lying on the ground, according to the indictment.
At that stage, a passerby whose identity is unknown to the prosecution approached and prevented Schreiber from continuing to attack the nun, prosecutors said.
Schreiber responded by kicking and punching the passerby as well.
The nun suffered facial bruising and bruises to her leg, according to the indictment.
The prosecution also notified the court that there was a possibility it would seek prison time if Schreiber is convicted.
The indictment comes after several other incidents targeting Christian symbols or figures in recent weeks.
In one incident, an IDF soldier smashed the face of a statue of Jesus Christ while posted in a southern Lebanese village. He was later relieved of combat duties and sentenced to 30 days in military detention.
On Wednesday, a photo was uploaded by a different IDF soldier showing him placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Additionally, on Palm Sunday, marked this year on March 29, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was heading to church for Sunday Mass when police stopped his convoy and forced it to turn back, according to the Latin Patriarchate.