Close
Screen shot of Gilad Kariv addressing the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee on May 13, 2026.
Screen shot of Gilad Kariv addressing the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee on May 13, 2026.
Israeli lawmaker Gilad Kariv called attacks and harassment targeting Christian clergy in Jerusalem’s Old City a “moral disgrace” Wednesday, saying the incidents have become routine and require action beyond Knesset discussions.
Opening a meeting of the Knesset Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee, Kariv said the issue is often discussed in terms of the diplomatic damage it causes Israel, but should first be understood as “a moral disgrace and an educational failure.”
“These incidents cast a moral stain on the State of Israel and Israeli society,” Kariv said, adding that attacks on clergy undermine Israel’s basic values and commitments. “As a rabbi in the Reform community, I am ashamed of them.”
Kariv praised police for quickly locating the suspect in an attack on a nun two weeks ago, calling it “an act of terror in every sense,” but said authorities must do more.
Vatican Ambassador to Israel Archbishop Giorgio Lingua praised the committee’s efforts, saying there is “always a gap between the idea and reality” but that efforts are being made to find solutions for Christians in Jerusalem.
Father Aghan Gogchian, chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate, said the hearing showed that “someone is following hate crimes against Christians in Jerusalem” and that there is an Israeli effort to preserve Christians’ dignity in the holy city. But he said such incidents threaten Jerusalem’s spiritual character, adding that members of the Armenian community have faced bullying, violence and intimidation while walking through the Old City in traditional clothing.
Father Bishoy Zaki, a representative of the Coptic Church, said Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City face “violent attacks, restrictions by security forces on prayer, spitting, kicking and stone-throwing” while walking through the area.
“I call on the Israeli government to call these acts by their name: hate crimes,” Gogchian said.
The hearing comes amid growing scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Christians and Christian holy sites, following several incidents that drew international criticism. Israel recently appointed former ambassador George Deek as special envoy to the Christian world.