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Jewish Man Attacks French Nun, Officials Cite Sectarian Violence

5/2/2026

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Summary

Story summary

CCTV showed a 36-year-old Jewish man wearing a kippah and tzitzit shoving and kicking a French nun near King David’s Tomb.
He was arrested on suspicion of a racially motivated assault, prompting Olivier Poquillon, director of French Biblical and Archaeological School, to call it sectarian violence.
The French consulate and Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying it reflects a rise in anti-Christian hostility in a 2025 Rossing Center report.

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Story summary

CCTV showed a 36-year-old Jewish man wearing a kippah and tzitzit shoving and kicking a French nun near King David’s Tomb.
He was arrested on suspicion of a racially motivated assault, prompting Olivier Poquillon, director of French Biblical and Archaeological School, to call it sectarian violence.
The French consulate and Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying it reflects a rise in anti-Christian hostility in a 2025 Rossing Center report.