JERUSALEM — The Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC) has released its latest quarterly report, documenting 50 hate incidents against Christians in Israel between April and June 2025. The report reveals a troubling rise in targeted attacks, particularly in Jerusalem’s Old City, where 50% of incidents occurred in the Armenian Quarter.
According to the data, 64% of the recorded incidents took place within the Old City walls, with half of those centered around the Armenian Patriarchate. This makes it the single most frequently targeted Christian site. Other major hotspots included Jaffa Gate and David Street (25%), Via Dolorosa (13%), and Chabad and HaAshurim Streets (6% each).
Outside the Old City, 22% of incidents occurred on Mount Zion, 10% in West Jerusalem, and smaller percentages in Gethsemane and areas beyond Jerusalem.
The vast majority of attacks (78%) involved spitting, a form of harassment widely reported by clergy and Christian residents. Other incidents included verbal abuse (8%), vandalism (4%), trespassing, and desecration of holy sites.
Among the victims were Armenian, Franciscan, Orthodox, and Catholic clergy, as well as Christian civilians. Many incidents were documented during processions, services, or while walking in religious attire. One case included threats of arson toward Armenian clergy, and several featured coordinated verbal assaults and gestures of contempt.
The RFDC also noted that only 22 of the cases have been filed with police since January 2025. Of those, just two have led to prosecution. Six cases were closed, while 14 remain without updates – raising serious concerns about impunity and the lack of law enforcement follow-through. During a Knesset hearing in May, police representatives admitted that the average annual number of indictments stands at only one to three.
The report was presented at two Knesset committee sessions in May, chaired by MK Gilad Kariv, and attended by Christian clergy, diplomats, and civil society actors. A follow-up session is scheduled to take place in the Old City to hear directly from victims.
Yaron Weiss, an Israeli expert on Armenian affairs and a human rights advocate, has voiced concern that the recent surge in attacks against Armenians in Jerusalem may be linked to ongoing attempts to seize control of the “Cow Garden” in the Armenian Quarter.
In comments to Public Radio of Armenia, he stressed the urgent need for law enforcement to protect the small Armenian community and to take decisive action against the perpetrators. Weiss also criticized the current handling of such cases, noting that even in the rare instances when attackers are detained, they are promptly released without consequences.
The organization’s recommendations include greater police presence during sensitive religious periods, installation of surveillance cameras in key areas, educational outreach in schools, and stronger municipal recognition of Christian presence in Jerusalem’s public spaces.
The RFDC is an independent initiative founded in June 2023 by Yisca Harani, an Israeli activist, scholar and expert in Christian history and interfaith relations. The center was established in response to a noticeable increase in anti-Christian incidents in Jerusalem, particularly in the Old City. Its primary mission is to document, report, and assist in addressing acts of harassment and violence against Christian individuals, clergy, and institutions in Israel.
