Attacks on Christians in Jerusalem are rising fast, a troubling sign of growing religious extremism inside Israel.

• Christians are being spit on, churches vandalized, and nuns assaulted — one French nun was thrown down and hurt her head.
• Recorded anti-Christian incidents have more than doubled since early 2024, driven mostly by younger Israelis.
• A far-right minister once defended arsonists, calling spitting on Christians an old Jewish custom.
• The Catholic Church's loud criticism of the Gaza war is seen as a main trigger for the backlash.
• The hostility is straining ties with US evangelicals; even pro-Israel groups have struggled to get visas.

Outlook: With half of Israelis now saying it's forbidden to enter a church, up from 10% in 2008, the trend looks set to worsen.