Dim Amor

The wave of violence spreading across Israel’s streets continues to intensify: incidents of assault, murder, and abuse against civilians are being reported at an alarming frequency, and no clear horizon for curbing the phenomenon is yet in sight. At the same time, public sentiment is increasingly that law enforcement and the judicial system are failing to provide an adequate response. The police struggle to contain the phenomenon, while courts at times impose only lenient sentences, if any at all, for violent offenses. Regarding violence against animals, criticism is mounting over the lack of effective punitive measures, despite recognition that, in certain cases, more severe patterns of violence may develop following earlier abuse of animals.

Against this backdrop, many citizens feel that their sense of personal security has significantly eroded. Severe acts of violence may, in all likelihood, occur in everyday settings, on the streets, in entertainment venues, and even at pedestrian crossings. In light of this reality, the public increasingly perceives violence as a deeply rooted phenomenon, causing tangible harm to the fabric of civilian life in Israel.

The nun was brutally attacked and humiliated in the heart of Jerusalem solely because of her Christian identity.

Racist violence in the Old City: a 36-year-old Jewish suspect pursued a nun, slammed her onto the stones, and kicked her as she lay bleeding on the ground. As Israel appears to be drowning in unrestrained violence, the finger of blame is pointed directly at the Ministry of National Security: what can be expected when, under Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, himself a convicted offender, the police appear powerless in the face of racist assailants?

Jerusalem, 2026. The holy city is increasingly resembling a wild frontier of hatred and racism. The footage released last night (Thursday) by the police is nothing short of shocking: a nun, a student at the French Biblical School (“École Biblique”), was simply walking to meet a friend near the Dormition Church. On her way, in the area of King David’s Tomb, she encountered sheer malice. A man wearing a kippah and tzitzit, someone who purports to represent religious values, acted with a level of brutality that has no place in a civilized society.

According to suspicions, the attacker identified the woman as a Christian and began pursuing her at a run from the tunnel in her direction. He did not stop at threats; he forcefully threw her onto the stone pavement, and as seen in the disturbing footage, while she lay on the ground, he repeatedly kicked her without mercy. Only the quick intervention of a passerby, who confronted the attacker and drove him away, prevented far more severe harm.

A Police Force Without Control: The Shadow of the Ministry of National Security

This incident is not an isolated case but evidence of a breakdown in public order. Israel is being flooded with violence with no end in sight. But what can be expected when the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, himself has prior convictions? When such a figure stands at the helm, the message conveyed to the public is one of disregard for the law and human rights.

A pressing question arises: does Judaism teach attacks against other religions? The answer is an unequivocal no. Individuals of this kind only desecrate the name of Judaism and harm Jews worldwide. Such violence is unacceptable under any circumstances, and the police’s attempts to portray a stance of “zero tolerance” appear detached from the bloody reality on the ground.

Police Investigation: Racist Motive

Superintendent Nadav Kagan, head of the investigative unit of the David District in Jerusalem, stated in an interview that the suspect was taken in for questioning on suspicion of an assault motivated by racism. "The suspect pushed her, she fell here onto the stones and sustained a head injury. After that, he continued to assault her by kicking her", Kagan said. While the police attempt to maintain calm among all religious communities, racist attackers continue to grow bolder.

The nun, who suffered a head injury and bleeding, was evacuated for medical treatment. The suspect was arrested two hours after the incident, and his detention was extended by the Magistrate’s Court. This constitutes a dark moral stain on the face of the state. As the streets burn with hatred, the public is compelled to ask: is this the legacy of Itamar Ben-Gvir? Is this the Israel we sought to see?

Religiously Motivated Assault and Its Legal Classification

In essence, a fundamental theoretical question arises: had the scenario been reversed—where an Arab Muslim man attacked a religious Jewish woman, beating her and knocking her to the ground, it is possible the incident would have received broader and more severe security-related attention. The existing documentation indicates that the fall alone could have resulted in a significant head injury and posed a real risk to the victim’s life.

In this context, the question sharpens as to whether, under certain circumstances, such an incident might also be examined under the framework of a terrorism offense, if the motive were identified as religiously driven harm.

In the present case, questions arise regarding the legal classification and handling of an incident in which a woman was attacked, apparently due to her Christian identity.

It should be emphasized that this is a purely principled and theoretical question, presented as a point for consideration, without drawing definitive conclusions.

As for whether the act constitutes "Jewish terrorism", such a determination is not based on public sentiment or the identity of the perpetrator alone, but rather on a clearly defined legal framework.

Under Israeli law, particularly the provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Law, classifying an act as terrorism requires the cumulative fulfillment of specific conditions, foremost among them the presence of an ideological, religious, or nationalist motive, alongside an intent to influence the public, instill fear, or coerce policy.

Photo: Police Spokesperson’s Unit, used in accordance with Section 27A of the Copyright Law.