A recent assault on a foreign nun in Jerusalem underscores a concerning rise in anti-Christian sentiment and attacks in Israel. Activists attribute this surge to increasingly emboldened ultra-religious nationalist and ultra-Orthodox Jewish individuals.

When a foreign nun was the victim of violent physical assault in Jerusalem last month, local activists and clergy say they were shocked but not surprised. In the past few years, anti-Christian incidents have surged in Israel – illustrating how a small minority of insular and mainly ultra-religious nationalist or ultra-Orthodox Jews are becoming increasingly emboldened to act out their anger and hate.