Ex-Israeli envoy calls nun attack in Jerusalem ‘terrorism’

Former Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon has described an attack on a French nun in occupied East Jerusalem as “Jewish terrorism,” following an incident that sparked international condemnation.

On Wednesday, a 36-year-old Israeli man was arrested after allegedly assaulting the nun in East Jerusalem in what Israeli police called a “racially motivated” attack, News.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Carmon addressed the incident on the US social media platform X, saying the nun was “peacefully walking in a Jerusalem street” when she was identified as non-Jewish, pushed, shoved and thrown to the ground, before being kicked by the attacker.

“If this is not Jewish Terrorism, then what is?” he wrote.

The French Consulate in Jerusalem also condemned the assault, saying France “strongly condemns the attack against a French nun” and is closely monitoring her condition while calling for the perpetrator to be prosecuted.

Israeli police, who released an image showing the nun with a head injury, said they treat all violent incidents seriously, especially those driven by racism and targeting clergy.

Hundreds of Christian and Muslim clergy serve in religious institutions across occupied East Jerusalem, where reports of attacks on religious figures and holy sites have increased in recent years.

Church leaders in Jerusalem have repeatedly urged Israeli authorities to take stronger action against such incidents.

The attack comes amid broader concerns over rising violence against religious sites, including a recent video showing an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer.

Since October 2023, violence involving Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank has killed at least 1,155 Palestinians, injured around 11,750, and led to about 22,000 arrests, according to Palestinian data.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada