Story perspectives

Jewish extremist shoves Catholic nun, highlighting rise in anti-Christian attacks

5/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Viral video showed a Jewish extremist shoving a Catholic nun to the ground during mass at Saint Stephen’s Basilica in Jerusalem.
By-passers stopped the attacker, leaving nun injured yet alive.
Witnesses called him a far-right activist with mental illness history.
Rossing Center logged 61 attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem during 2025, prompting Priest Olivier Catel to say assault shows rise in harassment spitting and hostile shouts routine.

History

Historical Context

On 25 February 1994, American-Israeli physician Baruch Goldstein, a Kach activist, opened fire in Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs, killing 29 Palestinians and wounding over 125. The massacre provoked Israeli condemnation, a ban on Kach, and tighter security at holy sites. The recent stabbing of a Catholic nun at Jerusalem’s Saint Stephen’s Basilica reflects that same far-right sectarian backlash, raising fresh concerns for interfaith safety.

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Story summary

Viral video showed a Jewish extremist shoving a Catholic nun to the ground during mass at Saint Stephen’s Basilica in Jerusalem.
By-passers stopped the attacker, leaving nun injured yet alive.
Witnesses called him a far-right activist with mental illness history.
Rossing Center logged 61 attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem during 2025, prompting Priest Olivier Catel to say assault shows rise in harassment spitting and hostile shouts routine.

1 / 2