**Title: Religious Jews Arrested After Attack on Armenian Monastery in Jerusalem**
**Jerusalem** – Six individuals, identified as religious Jews, were arrested following an attack on the St. James Armenian Monastery in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday night, according to Israeli police reports. The group, which included five minors and one adult, was captured on video engaging in aggressive behavior towards the monastery, which serves as the regional headquarters of the Armenian Church.
The footage shows the assailants spitting on the entrance of the monastery, banging against its doors, and throwing stones at the compound's walls. During the incident, an Armenian woman who was filming the attack from a nearby building was also targeted; the attackers hurled stones in her direction and shouted insults at her.
In response to the attack, Israeli police apprehended all six suspects. Three of them have been barred from re-entering the Old City for a period of 15 days, while authorities have requested a Jerusalem court to extend the detention of the remaining three individuals.
The Armenian Patriarchate has formally lodged a complaint regarding the incident and has called upon U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee to advocate for the recognition of such acts as hate crimes. This incident is part of a troubling trend of increasing violence against Christians and their properties in Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Christian leaders have reported a rise in hostility, with priests and pilgrims frequently experiencing verbal and physical assaults from ultra-Orthodox and radical nationalist Jews. Incidents of vandalism against churches, monasteries, and Christian-owned properties have also been reported. The Wall Street Journal highlighted that young religious Jews have openly expressed views that humiliating Christians is a religious obligation, further complicating the situation.
The newspaper documented numerous spitting incidents near the Armenian church during a nationalist march in May, and recalled a separate incident in April where a Jewish extremist attacked a French nun, leaving her with injuries. Reports indicate that some nuns now feel unsafe walking through Jerusalem without accompaniment.
Dormition Abbey Abbot Nikodemus Schnabel remarked on the pervasive nature of violence against Christians, stating that such incidents are not isolated and many go unreported. According to the Jerusalem-based Rossing Center, reported incidents of violence against Christians have nearly doubled between 2023 and 2025, with projections indicating another record year for such attacks.
Critics of the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, argue that extremist groups have been emboldened by the administration's far-right policies and the rhetoric of senior officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. In past statements, Ben-Gvir has defended spitting on priests and churches, framing it as an “ancient Jewish tradition” and questioning the criminality of such actions.
Despite assurances from Israeli officials that they are taking the issue seriously and addressing violence and racism, church leaders have expressed frustration over the lack of effective action following complaints. They warn that ongoing violence, along with settlement expansion and political hostility, is contributing to the exodus of some of the Holy Land’s oldest Christian communities.
As the situation continues to evolve, the Armenian Patriarchate and other Christian organizations are urging for greater protections and recognition of the challenges faced by Christians in Jerusalem.