Police said Wednesday they had arrested a man suspected of assaulting a French nun in Jerusalem the previous day, saying they had a zero-tolerance policy on attacks against religious figures.

“The suspect, a 36-year-old male, was identified and subsequently arrested by police,” the force said in a statement, adding it viewed with “utmost severity” any violent act “driven by potentially racist motives and directed toward members of the clergy.”

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, the same day as the attack.

Father Olivier Poquillon, director of Jerusalem’s French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, told AFP the 48-year-old nun was a researcher at the institution and does not wish to speak publicly.

“Yesterday, around 5:45 p.m. (1445 GMT) … she felt someone come up behind her and throw her with full force onto a rock,” Poquillon said, describing Tuesday’s attack.

“While the sister was on the ground, the man began to kick her repeatedly,” he said.

The assault occurred in front of the Cenacle, a building on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion considered holy to both Christians and Jews, the latter of whom regard it as the burial place of the biblical figure King David.

Footage shared by police showed bruises on the right side of the nun’s face.

The force also reported the arrest in an English-language post on X.

“Following a report of an assault against a nun in Jerusalem, officers responded immediately, launching an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect,” police wrote on the social media platform.

“In a city sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, we remain committed to protecting all communities and ensuring those responsible for violence are held accountable,” the force said.

Following a report of an assault against a nun in........

© The Times of Israel