Archbishop Atallah Hanna, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, has warned of escalating and systematic Israeli attacks against Christians in Jerusalem and across Palestine, saying clergy and places of worship are increasingly being targeted.
In remarks published by Al Jazeera, Hanna said the attacks are not isolated incidents but part of a broader policy aimed at weakening the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, including both Christians and Muslims.
He said Israeli political discourse contributes to creating an atmosphere that fuels such attacks.
His comments came after a French nun was assaulted in Jerusalem’s Old City in an incident captured on video and widely circulated online. Hanna described the attack as “brutal and barbaric”, saying the nun was attacked while returning to a convent near Damascus Gate and suffered injuries and bruises before later stabilising.
Hanna said the assault forms part of a longer pattern of violations against Christians and holy sites since 1967, including verbal abuse, spitting on clergy and physical attacks. He added that many Christian clergy and nuns have experienced similar incidents.
“We are one people, and we are all targeted in our holy sites, our endowments and the details of our lives,” Hanna said, referring to Palestinian Christians and Muslims alike.
He added that the attacks reflect what he described as a racist ideology that does not respect religious pluralism in Jerusalem.
READ: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem files complaint over Israeli occupiers’ encroachments on church-owned lands in West Bank
