Spitting at nuns: Religious harassment by Jewish extremists becomes routine in Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s Old City, home to sacred sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is increasingly being marred by religious tensions. The three religions have historically maintained a delicate balance through their respective quarters, but expressions of hostility toward other communities are reaching dangerous levels as Jewish extremist groups gain influence amid what critics say is tacit acceptance and encouragement from the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which includes far-right parties. Extremism threatens holy sites of three religions The Christian Quarter is one of the places where interreligious tensions are most visible. According to the Israeli civic group Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), 83 cases of harassment targeting Christians were reported from April through June this year. Spitting accounted for the largest number, with 47 cases, followed by eight cases of verbal abuse. While a reporter from the Hankook Ilbo accompanied nuns on their way home through the Old City on Aug. 4, a Jewish teenager spat toward them. “After a French nun was assaulted in

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