BREAKING News Israel Court Acquits Settler who Assaulted a Catholic Nun from France in Jerusalem - on the Grounds of Mental Illness

On August 26, 2026, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court acquitted Yona Simcha Schreiber of criminal responsibility for the April 2026 violent assault of a 48-year-old French Catholic nun on the grounds of mental illness. [1, 2]

Key Details of the Ruling

• The Verdict: Judge Ophir Tischler ruled that while Schreiber did commit the physical acts of violence described in the indictment, he cannot be held criminally liable. The court accepted a district psychiatrist's assessment that Schreiber has schizophrenia and was in an active psychotic state during the incident, meaning he could not understand or control his actions. [2, 3]
• The Sentence: The court ordered Schreiber to be committed to involuntary psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years. He may be released early if a specialized psychiatric committee determines his condition has sufficiently improved. [1, 2, 3]

Background of the Incident

• The Attack: On April 28, 2026, Schreiber—a 36-year-old Israeli settler from the West Bank settlement of Peduel—attacked the nun near King David's Tomb on Mount Zion. [1, 2]
• The Violence: Security footage captured Schreiber tracking the victim, who was wearing a traditional habit. He violently shoved her to the ground, returned to kick her in the head, and assaulted a passerby who attempted to intervene. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The Victim: The victim is a French citizen and a researcher at Jerusalem's French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research. She required medical treatment for her injuries following the incident. [1]
• Initial Charges: Schreiber was originally indicted on charges of assault causing bodily harm motivated by hostility toward a religious group, as well as common assault. [1]

Reactions to the Ruling

The initial incident and the subsequent ruling generated intense public backlash. Local academic institutions and foreign diplomats, including the French Consulate, heavily condemned the attack, calling attention to a "troubling pattern" of rising anti-Christian hostility in the region. Following the verdict, civil rights and religious advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), issued sharp public statements criticizing the acquittal. [1, 2]