Christians in Israel Face Rising Harassment as Far-Right Nationalism Grows

A French nun was attacked without warning while walking through occupied East Jerusalem on April 28, 2026. For the roughly 180,000 Christians living in Israel, the assault was not a surprise.

Low-level harassment has become routine. Spitting, insults, and graffiti targeting Christians occur daily, according to community members and analysts. The incidents have grown alongside Israel's shift toward far-right nationalism under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

A survey by the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue found that ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalistic Israelis are responsible for most attacks on Christians. In the first three months of 2026, 31 incidents of harassment were reported. Last year, 113 known attacks on individuals and church property were tracked in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem.

"Resentment toward Christianity existed in the past as well, but people did not dare express it openly," said Hana Bendcowsky, programme director at the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations. "Over the past three years, the political atmosphere in Israel has led people to feel more comfortable harassing Christians."

Israeli officials condemned the attack on the nun, calling it "despicable." A man was arrested. But trust in the Israeli state remains thin, with many incidents going unreported.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman, an Israeli peace activist, told Al Jazeera that harassment of non-Jews by settler elements "knows no bounds," ranging from spitting and desecrating property to government actions blocking churches from bringing in staff and clergy from abroad.

Nearly half of Christians under 30 in the region say they want to leave. Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, an analyst with Atlas Global Strategies, warned that the intolerance is eroding global support for Israel, particularly among younger evangelical Christians in the United States.