By Pesach Benson • May 7, 2026
Jerusalem, 7 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s State Attorney’s Office on Thursday indicted 36-year-old Yonah Shreiber on charges of assaulting a Christian nun in Jerusalem’s Old City, in an incident prosecutors labeled as a hate crime.
According to the indictment and security camera footage cited in the case, the incident occurred near King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion. Shreiber is seen running toward the nun from behind, pushing her to the ground, and kicking her while she was on the pavement. He then briefly walked away before returning and kicking her again.
Prosecutors say that when a passerby attempted to intervene, Shreiber also assaulted him with punches and kicks. The nun sustained facial bruising, leg injuries, and a head injury that caused dizziness, according to the indictment.
Shreiber, a resident of Peduel, is charged with assault causing actual bodily harm with an aggravating religious motive.
Separately, two unrelated incidents involving Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon have drawn disciplinary responses. In one case, a soldier desecrated a crucifix with a sledgehammer near the Christian village of Debel. He and another soldier who photographed the act were subsequently removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention.
Six other soldiers who were present but did not stop the incident or report it were summoned for further review.
In another incident, a soldier was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a Virgin Mary statue while smoking. The image circulated online, prompting an internal investigation.
An IDF spokesperson said the photograph was taken several weeks ago and that disciplinary measures would be determined following the investigation’s findings.
